The DarkSide's not so Dark after all....

[mom2rtk]

You know.... I heard rumors of a FP+ haters club. Is it possible that I have stumbled upon the first meeting? Oh, and I heard you have cookies. Someone pass the cookies please.

I actually got to play "good SiL"! She'd just moved there from Texas, so I was able to put up towel racks, mop and broom organizers,etc., and move boxes into the crawl spaces. They had a wonderful da Vinci exhibit up in Bradenton we all really enjoyed, too. Oh, and pull no punches on your critique- I can take it..!

Sounds like you banked some serious goodwill points!

Having both you and mom2rtk check in is very humbling to a TR newbie.....

No need to be humbled. Some of us with a lot of trip reports just have too much to say.

We haven't been to US since 2004. I'm anxious to hear more.

 

[mrsabbott]

It's tough sometimes. We have a semi-rule in the house - can't watch the movie until you read, at least, the 1st book. It cuts both ways, DW had to suffer through reading JRR Martin's Game of Thrones (me, big fan), while I had to do the same with Nights of Rodanthe (her, big fan)..... Would have liked to have watched all the HP's after DS8 had made it past book 4, but the trip put us under a tight sched. It was kinda neat, however, hearing him say, "I wish they hadn't left such and such out of the movie..."

I have this same rule!! Well, sort of. I have watched some Game of Thrones episodes and have the books on my "to read" list.. I often find that the books are far better then the movies/ tv shows!

My girls want to watch the movies something fierce, but I insist they must read the book first. My oldest has made it through chapter 5.. I even told her that I'd make her a butterbeer latte and get some every flavor beans (i.e. jelly belly's) but she'd much rather do math problems or go play outside.. She totally didn't get that from me!

 

[clsteve]

You know.... I heard rumors of a FP+ haters club. Is it possible that I have stumbled upon the first meeting? Oh, and I heard you have cookies. Someone pass the cookies please.

Yummy! Grab one and the Butterbeer is on the far table, next to the petition......

 

[mom2rtk]

Yummy! Grab one and the Butterbeer is on the far table, next to the petition......

Allright.... who ate all the ears off the Mickey cookies!

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Great trip report! Can't wait to read more. Planning two days at Uni next summer, first time ever, so am enjoying all the trip reports. Yours is super!

 

[clsteve]

I have this same rule!! Well, sort of. I have watched some Game of Thrones episodes and have the books on my "to read" list.. I often find that the books are far better then the movies/ tv shows!

My girls want to watch the movies something fierce, but I insist they must read the book first. My oldest has made it through chapter 5.. I even told her that I'd make her a butterbeer latte and get some every flavor beans (i.e. jelly belly's) but she'd much rather do math problems or go play outside.. She totally didn't get that from me!

Keep it up - reading never hurt anyone! Those every flavor beans, however....

 

[macraven]

Keep it up - reading never hurt anyone! Those every flavor beans, however....

the jelly belly factory in WS is a short drive for me.
some of their bertie beans sux, especially the vomit ones..

 

[Dee2013]

I could NOT get into the first HP book. Then the 1st movie came out. Once I had the dialect and a picture of everything in my head, I flew through all the HP books!

Fortunately, the 1st movie is very true to the book. After that, a lot from the books get left out due to time and editorial decisions. I was glad I had read the books before I saw the other movies. If your kids are still on the 1st book, I say let them see the 1st movie as a tease!

 

[clsteve]

Day One: Weather..check, Disaster..check, Mummy Dust..check,

I'm an early riser. Our standard routine is for me to get up and shower between 5:15-6am (no set alarm, I'm just one of those "people"). I'll let everyone else sleep, head down to whatever coffee shop is open, wander around with some "fuel", and take in the quiet time. It was my favorite part of staying at BWV. The Boardwalk in the very early morning is truly magical. Then, I'll come back with DW's "fuel", plus juice and light stuff (if we haven't stocked our own) and help get the family ready for RD or Early Entry. For an early morning walk, PBH suited me just fine...



PBH has Sal's for us "early stalkers". They're just down past Mamma Dellas, right on the Piazza. They serve Starbucks . Now, I'll hunt for good coffee but am ambivalent about The Big "S". If that's what's available no prob. This seemed to be a bit less "burnt", so I was absolutely fine with it. For takeout, they have some pre-made muffins, pastries, and hot croissants (egg, cheese, ham, that sort of thing), plus fruit, yogurt, granola, etc. Nothing like the selection at Boardwalk Bakery, but all were decently fresh and very serviceable no complaints (and no line any of the 4 mornings). What we did appreciate - fresh squeezed OJ! Pricewise, 2 Grandes, 2 OJs, 2 muffins, and an egg and cheese croissant will set you back about $32-35.00. Pretty comparable to WDW. Sal's shines in another way, Day Two.


Ominous! - Borderline Apocalyptic!




Being January in Fla., all of you know how important it is to be able to roll with the weather punches. Day One, with a projected high of 74 degrees, had always looked like the warmest day- best day for the water rides, best day for the pool. However, it also had anywhere from a 60-80% chance of heavy showers and thunderstorms, with 2" totals possible. No big deal. If you're going to be wet, might as well hit the wet rides!

Well, the radar had some seriously heavy bands about 3-4 miles north of us. Do we cower in bed, pull the curtains, and wait it out..?!!! No! We live on a frickin' spit of sand 30 miles out in the middle of the Atlantic! Bathing suits for the kiddos, wet gear for the adults and off to the boat!

Our firewood and a cooler floating in our yard while Hurricane Sandy is still 175 miles away - We are one with the Weather





The boats get a solid 5 stars. Each Resort has its own, they come every 15 minutes (until 2:15am) and the ride is extremely pleasant. No sharing with other Resorts! I have to say it one more time, "No sharing with other Resorts!" We found it to be one of those on-site perks with real value. I'm only half joking when I tell DW that I've found my true retirement job Boat Captain - as long as it's the morning shift and not the "Late Night Revelry Shift". More on that tomorrow..

IOA/HP Early Entry!

The 7:30am boat got us to the CityWalk dock at 7:39am - just in time for the agonizingly long walk of 3 minutes to the gates of IOA. Another great thing about early rain? We (the token Americans) were surrounded by UK, Scandinavian, and South American families - all looking at us and wondering "what are you doing out in this weather, so early?"

I was worried about the UT tickets and Express Passes in the weather, though. The 3 day tickets were just heavy paper stock with blank "print name" and "sign name" spaces. The EP's were printed on thinner card stock that spits out with your picture after you (and the kids) insert your individual room keys into the machine.




I even visited the PBH ticket counter the night before to ask if there was anything else we should do to maybe get something more tangible. "Nope, just sign them", he said, "and they'll be fine." "Oh, but be careful with the EPs." "If something happens to them, you'll have to come back to the hotel for new room keys before you can get new EP's since each room key can only make one EP, and they don't have the ability to issue a new room key in the Parks"...... We did not test if this wonderful scenario was true. For three days, I kept the tickets and EP's in one waterproof lanyard that never left my neck. We had no problems with any of them. Our adult room keys had charging privileges throughout the Parks, CityWalk and the Resorts.

The Gates opened at 7:50am and we were off to see the Wizard(s)!


Ominous and Foreboding! Hogwarts looks Great on a stormy day!




A quick note on Universal Theme-ing: I've seen posted more than once that Uni is just an Amusement Park, that the theme-ing just doesn't compare to WDW. I wholeheartedly disagree. The walk from the boats through CityWalk, through the Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, and the Lost Continent is very well done. The Port of Entry and Lost Continent are much better themed than AdventureLand, in my opinion.





And WWoHP..? Stunning - there's no other word for how in depth you feel passing through the gates that first time.



Surprisingly, the boys wanted nothing to do with getting in line for Ollivander's (I would have lost that bet with DW), and headed right to FJ. Wow! Now, that's an interactive queue! It was so uncrowded (rain can be a positive!), we were able to stop along the way (letting others by) and take in the sights of Dumbledore's Office, the Portrait Room, the Classroom, the Magic Hat, etc,. Wow! (Yes, I know I'm overusing wow). Even reading all of the boards didn't prepare me for the technological innovation and depth of detail employed by Uni - especially those portraits.

And the Ride



We did it three times straight, with no wait it was that amazing. Early Entry = 5+ Stars! Believe me, all I could think of, as we cruised past the massive (emphasis on MASSIVE) amounts of empty queues, is how staying on-site is worth it just to be able to skip it all (think, going during a busy time).

You also must ride it several times to even begin to take in the detail. I don't believe I noticed the Dragon Wing until Day Three. The boys didn't notice those were our faces in the mist screen until day three. Daigon Alley - you've a lot to live up to!

Note: we gave each of the boys a Kids Dramamine (and DW) and had no motion sickness issues on FJ. DS8 can get seasick on the Ferry when its rough, so we were a little worried about him. While DS10 is sensitive to a lot of input and gets sensory overload, which we monitored the whole trip. But more on that in a minute!

Its always Butterbeer:30 Somewhere in the World!

Okay, I'll admit it. Prior to our trip, I thought it was a little amusing (and borderline concerning) how Butterbeer has seemed to reach this "elixir of the gods" status on the Uni Boards. Well, the other 3 members of our family are now confirmed addicts and would agree. The Hog's Head was open, so in we went. Frozen was the choice. Seriously, no words were spoken for at least 15 minutes. I just sat there in shock as I watched the three of them turn into some sort of Butterbeer automatons...






Note: they have a great beer selection for a theme park and just recently added Tennent's on tap. Its a very serviceable Euro Lager (when on tap) brewed in Glasgow. They also have London's Pride (an above average English bitter). I had to go back later just to make sure the taps weren't fake or anything..


Dragons Challenge!



I know this is a picture of the Castle from the 3rd day, but there's a great picture spot in the Dragons Challenge Queue even if you don't want to ride the coasters.

I really loved DC when it was DD in '99 (so did DW, but we were still dating back then....). The whole family rode Blue once this time. DS8 loved it! DW and DS10 got off with stunned looks on their faces and said they'd meet us in the shops.

Here's where EP started to give value on a low crowd day. By taking the shortcut to get back in line, then using the EP Entrance, DS8 and I were able to skip that massively long, cave-like queue and ride 4 more times in about 25 minutes. Things like this make a big difference when you've split up. Riding The Red in front is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have. DS8 wanted more, but time to go.

We met them in Honeydukes where we picked up some of those "dreaded beans" (macraven, you are spot-on about those). We opened the box back in the room on the mid-day break and played the game close your eyes, grab one and eat it. The boys and I each ended up with some wonderful ones like sausage and rotten egg. Through half a box, DW did not get one bad one. The boys talk about that almost every day. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.

The only negative we saw to WWoHP was the shop size (which has been covered many other times). They are very nice. But, by the time we left around 9:45am, the crowds were streaming in and they got a little "tight" - especially the wand shop. On a hot summers day, I'd be very thankful for Early Entry access, as it does seem like everyone heads over to WWoHP at Park Opening. Early entry does rock, per DS10...

We head to Spiderman and the Hulk before the 11am Poseidon's Fury Show. DS10 is a mythology geek and really wants to see it.

Spiderman!



All of the family loved it. What an amazing difference from the '99 version. All the boys could say was Awesome! We rode it another 4 times during our stay. The Tour Groups were really filling in this area, by now. EP got us out and back in the vehicle in about 5 minutes for ride 2. Standby was at 25 minutes.


The Hulk!

Okay, here's where the equation of: (3 x FJ) + Butterbeer + DC + (2 x Spiderman) + Hulk = DW motion sickness when all done before 11am. The Hulk was its amazing self. One of the smoothest rides on a coaster you can have. Add in the takeoff while sitting in front, . EP saved us a good 20 minutes here because of the tour groups.

It looks like DS8 Really enjoyed it



DW, however, was a little woozy. And this is one of the few criticisms we had during our stay. The music volume in the Marvel SuperHero Area is a bit over the top. DW thinks she would have been fine if not for that. When she sat down to gather herself it was too much - including in the child swap section within the ride before heading outside (she tried to sit here for awhile, first). I totally agree it could be turned down from an 8 to a 4 ½ without inhibiting the theme.

Needless to say we got out of there and headed back to Lost Continent to wait for:

Poseidon's Fury = Disaster followed by Mummy Dust!



Very impressive building and very well themed. The rain had stopped by now and it was humid. So, why not use the EP's and sit down in a nice, dark, quiet queue for a bit and wait for the show? EP's got us right up front in the cave-like waiting area where there was a stone seat for DW to sit and gather herself. We tried to talk her into sitting this whole thing out, but she really wanted to check it out too.

Everything was looking up until the pre-show announcer used the dreaded "C" word: claustrophobic - as in "If you are, you might not want to do this". I slowly look over. DW and DS8 have that "deer in the headlights" look since they both slightly are. DS10 and I give them the manly "I'm sure it'll be fine..." and in we go. Remember, DS10 really wanted to do this he's the mythology geek (like me).

We end upon the far left, right up against the ropes- as far away from the exit as physically possible! As they completely fill the room to capacity, DW is just starting to say we should head out of there once the doors open to the next room so we can get to that exit, when the Tour guide/MC (very funny guy, in his own way) of course, picks DS8 to be his helper! He yells: "make way for DS8 and his family!!" Now he then drags the 4 of us straight through 250 people right into the next room!

Really, you cant make this stuff up. It gets better - As we're being dragged through, DW somehow drops the amazing technology known as IPhone. Actually, she was just trying to be the good citizen and heed the turn off phone warning and it doesn't quite get back in her pocket. We don't discover this until we go through the next room and the wall opens to the water tunnel (which is absolutely amazing - worth doing the show just to see that at least once). We now have the Tour Guide pulling the 4 of us forward, while 250 people are pushing us farther and farther away from it as we visualize what those 500 feet are doing to it.

Btw, DS8 is having just a grand ole time! He's holding the Trident and helping Poseidon! He has no idea what's going on! Meanwhile, DS10 (who's getting a bit of sensory overload) and DW are about to claw through the walls and I'm trying to figure out how to look between the legs of 250 people for a phone without seeming like I should be on a watchlist somewhere.

Well, we get through the show and I'm in full "Its no big deal, you've got insurance, right...?" mode as we walk back to the front. DW talks to the TM at the entrance, who then talks into her headset and disappears. 2 minutes later, she comes back with the IPhone - still in one piece and working! We're shocked. Two thumbs up for the TMs! A very amazing and welcome Mummy Dust sprinkle, to say the least! (Mod, we need a Mummy sprinkling something emoticon). The kids love bringing up this story as often as possible (shocking, I know) and we all get a big laugh or 2 out of it -- now.

DW really needs a nice quiet lunch with a huge glass of wine....

Mythos



We had wanted to try Mythos from the beginning. Its a beautiful place, as well themed as any we've seen in a Theme Park. They asked if we wanted to wait 10 minutes for a water view table. DW said well take the quickest table possible.

The menu has a broad range of choices and they have specials each day - unusual for an in-Park restaurant, in our experience.

We started with the Mediterranean Flatbread: roasted artichoke hearts, olives, bacon with cheddar and mozzarella cheese and a roasted red pepper sauce (4 stars. I would order just this for my entrée next time. All of us really enjoyed it).

DW had the Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna Salad (2 ½ stars for the tuna, since it seemed to have been Pan Seared sometime earlier in the morning, 3 ½ stars for the salad and dressing).

DS8 had the crab sliders (he gives it 5 stars, I give it 3 ½ &) DS10 had the Daily Pasta penne with chicken, artichokes and spinach (a solid 3 ½ stars).

I had the Daily Risotto, Cuban Pork with Ancho Chile Rub and a Chimichurri-style sauce (3 stars).

Oh, and a "4 1/2 stars for the Sangria!" DW wants added, from the other room.



All in all, a solid meal for an in-Park TS. The flatbread (and Sangria) were the only things that shined, but the service and atmosphere were definite pluses. We would go again, but wouldn't necessarily plan specifically for it. However, we are very much starting to enjoy not having our itinerary revolve around ADR's made 180 days in advance.....

Water ride time!

Were damp, have our gear, the kids are in swim shirts and bathing suits (and Mom had her Sangria) JPRA and Barge Time! (Dudleys down for re-furb).

The kids are huge Splash Mountain fans (as are we). Now, they are also huge JPRA fans! We rode it 3 times in a row. The Dino animatronics seemed better than what I remember from 99. The boys loved the raptor cage descending (still talk about it), and T-Rex really made an "impression" . I love how the drop seems completely hidden because of how they change your perspective and focus. You can see in the ride pic how it catches you completely off-guard. Awesome!



With EP, we were in the boat in about 2 minutes for each of the rides. Standby was about 15 minutes, since the tour groups were starting to filing in. We love the theme-ing of this area. I do hope Kong does go in here as rumored. It would fit perfectly....

Bilge Rat Barges!

There's wet, there's Bilge Rat Barge wet, and then there's Bilge Rat Barge wet when they let you ride it 3 times in a row without getting out of the Barge. For some reason, we and about 15 other people seemed to be the only ones in the Park who wanted to ride. It was plenty warm and humid (at 75 degrees), and it had been raining on and off until about 45 minutes ago. Everybody in the Park was at least a little drenched. To each his own.

Yes, they let us ride 3 times without getting out of the Barge. It was some of the most fun the kids had during our whole stay. They were even taunting the people stationed at the water cannons (much to the delight of DW).

Parents, there's a specific section of Physical Law around fluid dynamics that comes into play when there are only 4 of you on the whole barge. Weight distribution is the variable. If you as adults want to really get wet place the 2 lightest members on one side of the Barge (DS10 and DS8), and place the largest 2 (us) directly opposite! That will lead you as parents underneath of every waterfall and put your backs facing downstream every time you go down a rapid! I thought the boys were going to hyperventilate, they were laughing so hard.

This picture in no way shows just how wet we were....



I'm going to end here at about 2pm Day One and split it in half.

Next up: Pool Time, Quiet Time, The Hard Rock, and Dinner at The Kitchen!

 

[mesaboy2]

Good stuff...looking forward to more!

 

[clsteve]

Good stuff...looking forward to more!

Thanks - not quite sure why quotations and apostrophes keep dropping out. Unfortunately, I can't blame it on Apple this time.....

 

[wen8jr]

Great TR, looking forward to more! We love Universal, can't wait to go back in May.

 

[blklotus]

Following along! Your trip looks like it was so much fun -- we LOVE Universal and alternate going every other year (on our "off" years we have to "settle" for Disney). I'm so excited about the HP expansion!

 

[schumigirl]

Much thanks! And I have to admit, your TR's (and Hattered's feedback) swayed us to Uni when we couldn't quite decide what to do.

Having both you and mom2rtk check in is very humbling to a TR newbie.....

Thanks.........glad to hear it

Great update and super pictures

 

[RAPstar]

Loving your TR! Sounds like a great trip so far! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[zebsterama]

Awesome TR! --- very much looking forward to reading more .

Booked RP for 8 nights for our first kick at Universal (DS 12, DD 10, DW & Me) .... always wrestled with which hotel to stay at between Portofino & RP.

Thanks for helping me to second guess myself once again!!!

I'm the "vacation plan-aholic" in our family, so I can empathize with much of your plight.

Cheers!!

 

[clsteve]

Awesome TR! --- very much looking forward to reading more .

Booked RP for 8 nights for our first kick at Universal (DS 12, DD 10, DW & Me) .... always wrestled with which hotel to stay at between Portofino & RP.

Thanks for helping me to second guess myself once again!!!

I'm the "vacation plan-aholic" in our family, so I can empathize with much of your plight.

Cheers!!

I wouldn't 2nd guess yourself whatsoever! I'll talk about our visit to RP for breakfast later on. I thought it was beautiful with much to offer. The kids, especially, were impressed.

 

[FoursCompany]

This TR is awesome!! Ohhh I dropped my iPhone last year on a ride at Disney and the cast members found it but by then someone had deleted all my contacts. Luckily they did not delete my photos of the trip!!

Can't wait to hear about the pools!

 

[mrsabbott]

Ooh! Your pictures are great! I'm getting so excited for our trip now!

 

[xApril]

Love your report so far! Super interesting to read. I've stayed at Portofino two years ago for one night and I'm going again next month and your photos just make me so excited!

Can't wait for more.