The Mummy is Great - Even Four Times in a Row - May 2016 Trip Report - Updated 5/28/16

[Chinedu]

Hi Everyone! We just returned from Orlando and this time I've really, really decided that I will do a trip report. We did a short (4 day) trip to USF/IOA. The last time we went to Orlando was May 2012 and I started a pre-trip report and had fantastic plans to write a play-by-play of our 7 day trip. We had a great time on the trip. Then life happened but the trip report didn't. So this time around I have been reading the boards for the past several months but didn't post anything in terms of a trip report. Until now. I'm ready and hopefully you'll enjoy it.

A little History
I'm Iheoma (pronounced E-ha-muh) (early 40's) my DH, Terry (early 40's) and DD Kira (14 years old). We live in Chicago (not a suburb of but really in the city) in a great south side community. We all love to travel and try to go somewhere away from the state at least twice a year. We kept meaning to go back to Orlando (particularly USF/IOA) but we all agreed that we needed to go a couple of other places first. So, in November 2015 we headed to New Orleans. We ate, drank and danced our way through the city for a week. Here's a a ridiculously large selfie of us right outside of Jackson Square.




This trip was somewhat difficult for us because it occurred about a month after Terry's mother passed away after a year long battle with cancer. We went back in forth in deciding to go or not and eventually ended up making the decision to go do it. Terry's mom (Pam) didn't like to travel but LOVED hearing about our adventures. One of her last conversations with me was on in which she made me promise that I be sure that Kira (her only grandchild) would always know the world was a much bigger place than Chicago. So we went, had a decent time but decided when we returned home that we needed to plan for something in May/June as well.

So - I started looking for flights and hotel rooms in January. Got a great deal on an mid-May flight on Southwest and a pretty good Annual Pass Holder rate for Portofino Bay Hotel for May 18 - 21. As we planned the trip, Terry and I discussed his general (extreme) dislike roller coasters and any sort of rides at all. Specifically, he reminded me of how he does not ride anything that even looks like it has a drop, twist or turn. Nothing. Nada. Not a darn thing. He's the same person who only rode Shrek 4D, E.T., Men in Black, Popeye/Pluto Barges and Spiderman the last time we went to the parks. The entire 5 days we spent in the park. Spiderman was a VERY big challenge for him. Terry's a great guy but he doesn't like rides. We talked about it (a lot) and we decided that only Kira and I would go. Not our traditional way of doing things, but we decided to make it a Mom/Daughter roller coaster heavy trip.

So thanks for reading a bit about us. Coming up next I'll post about our lovey experiences with Midway security lines, our first town car ride and check-in at Portofino Bay.

 

[snoopboop]

Looking forward to reading your trip report! Unfortunately, I'm not able to see the photo in your first post.... Wondering whether other posters are having the same problem? :-/

A mom/daughter coaster-heavy trip sounds heavenly to me! Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[princesserin1350]

We were there May 17-20 and had a blast with some great short waits! Hope the experience was wonderful for you, and looking forward to the rest of your report

 

[tortilla24]

Nope, your picture's not working for me either. But I'm excited to read along!

 

[Chinedu]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies - I tried adding the picture again. I think that it works. Can you see it?

 

[snoopboop]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies - I tried adding the picture again. I think that it works. Can you see it?

Yes! I can see it now! What a beautiful family! Tell your DD I love her purple glasses. :-D

 

[Chinedu]

Thanks Snoopboop - Her favorite color is purple and and she LOVES her purple glasses!

 

[Chinedu]

May 18 - Part I - Up at 3:30 a.m. because the TSA Rocks (just kidding)

So, you guys know from my first post that we live on the south side of Chicago. This means we have TWO fantastically slow airports to choose from. We always fly Southwest domestically which means we always fly out of Midway. Most of the time, this really works out well. It typically only takes about 45 minutes from our door to checking our bags for early morning flights. BUT since we're all dealing with some mysterious delays in the security checkpoints, we decided to get to the airport a bit early. Our flight was scheduled for 7:35 a.m. In the NORMAL universe we wouldn't need to get to the airport until 5:35, but in the upside down universe of extra long security lines. We planned to get into the airport at 4:30 just in case - which meant a 3:30 wake up. Good thing we got there when we did - because this is what we walked into.

We got into line and waited and waited and waited. When we finally got up to the body scanner (about an hour later) I was informed me that I would need a personal pat down. Seems like my friendly TSA agents can't see through my hair . Interestingly, I'm kinda of concerned that if the body scanner can't "see" through my braided hair, it probably has problems seeing through other stuff too. But maybe not? Who knows. Good thing is that the flight left on time and arrived 15 minutes early.

 

[schumigirl]

Love the selfie.......and adore anything purple!!!!

Sounds like a good trip in the making........can't wait to catch up later..........

 

[macraven]

to the trip report forum !!

i enjoy reading all the threads and posts here.


i hear you about Midway.....
i lived in the north side of chicago on the Elston/Montrose part of the city for years.
did midway twice and never again.
too crowded for me.

i'm looking forward of looking over your shoulder and following your adventures at the darkside.

 

[Tink2Day]

Sounds like a great report about to happen, subscribing! Love your daughters purple glasses.

At least the airport was the scariest ride and probably the longest wait.....Universal was probably a piece of cake after that.

 

[Chinedu]

May 18 - Part II - The Portofino (AKA "I feel fancy")

Despite the crazy long security lines, our flight was pretty great. Kira got a window seat and I got the middle. I actually really like the middle seat. I'm not a huge fan of watching take-off and landings and I really dislike being in the aisle. Our seat mate was a mom with an adorable (and quiet) 9 month old. Kira spent most of the time watching "My Cat from Hell" on the free channels. I mention this because Kira doesn't particularly like cats (we have a 6 year old Malti-Poo named Cupcake) but she loves watching cats terrorize folks and asking me to watch along with her. Kira and I both agreed to pack lightly for this trip (meaning: do not pack 3 outfits for each day we are on vacation) so we just had our carry-on bags. As soon as we got off of the plane we could feel the 30 degree difference between Chicago and Orlando - and LOVED it.

Just so you guys know. I'm a bit of a type A. In fact I'm a type A who yearns to be a type A-/B+. Years of Disney vacation planning probably contributed to this in me. So, when I didn't have do all of the ADRs and fast pass reservations, it felt kinda weird. I had to fixate on something else to plan and (worry) about. That something was the transportation between the airport and the hotel. This was the FIRST time I have ever come to Orlando and not rented a car. But considering that we didn't plan on going anywhere offsite and I didn't want to pay close to $30 a day for the privilege of parking, I decided to go with a town car service and then spent the next two weeks reading every Yelp and Tripadvisor review I could. I even called a couple of services to see if they sounded legit and were accessible. There were lots of great suggestions from fellow Dis members (thanks guys!) and we ended up using A1 Elite Transportation Services. The service was FANTASTIC. It felt incredibly relaxing not to worry about driving and paying for tolls and getting lost. Our driver was super nice and got us to the hotel in about 35 minutes. It felt really good when Kira looked over at me and said, "I feel fancy Mom". Coming from a 14 year old ballerina diva, it felt great!


We walked into the lobby of the Portofino and I felt like we were home. I know that it had been 4 years since our last stay at the resort, but it looked really great. I'm a huge Loews hotel fan and typically try to stay in them when I travel (personally and professionally). I'm a You First Gold Member, but I didn't expect any kind of upgrade for this trip (booked an APH). I just hoped that we could get into the room given that it was 11:45am and check-in wasn't until 4pm. So, I was totally surprised when we were given a room with balcony and this view.




It was a very nice start to the trip. More to come...

 

[macraven]

Great way to start the vacation

Room with a view

 

[schumigirl]

How lovely you got a balcony!!

Yep, love that heat when you set foot in Orlando.......nothing like it!

 

[Chinedu]

May 18 - Part III - Burnt Twix Bars and the Flaming Moe

Thanks everyone for reading along. I understand a little better now why people write trip reports, it helps to keep that vacation vibe going a bit longer .

And now, back to the story...

Kira and I spent a good 10 minutes hanging out on the balcony before we realized that we were totally not prepared for the Florida heat and sun. I had been obsessively watching the Orlando forecast on Accuweather and Weather.com and convinced myself that it would be grey and rainy all week. Yep - lots of you guys made it clear that it rarely rains all day and even if it does the heat remains. I didn't listen and didn't pay attention to my previous experiences with Florida weather. Instead, I told Kira and Terry that there was absolutely no need for us to worry about sunscreen. In fact, I laughed when Terry said that we would both end up looking and feeling like burnt Twix bars by the end of the 2nd day. Sitting on the balcony. I totally realized that he was right and I made a mental note to buy some sunscreen in the gift shop in the lobby.

After a quick FaceTime conversation with Terry we decided to head over the USF. We both were starting to get a bit hungry and the anticipation was really building. We still needed to pick up our APs and Express Passes (and sunscreen). I tried to use the machine to get our APs, but after multiple unsuccessful attempts, I just decided to wait in line and ask the attendant to do it. She had no problem with it and printed out our paper APs. I wish that we had gotten the new plastic ones, but I guess that means we'll just have to come back sooner rather than later . Heading over to the Express Pass Kiosk/Picture station was our next stop and probably took about as long as everything else combined (ok - maybe not quite) because Kira dissatisfied with the first 3 poses she did for the Express Pass picture. When she started on her 4th re-take I told her that I was about to leave without her. Luckily the boat was at the dock, we made it through the security check quickly and we were on our way.

Starting to really feel the hunger and (being up since 3:30 a.m.) we headed straight to Springfield USA for lunch. I was kinda surprised by the controlled chaos that place. We waited for about 15 minutes in line before being able to order. I know that it's none of my business, but I'm still surprised when people wait in line for 15 minutes and then have no idea what they want to order when they get the counter. Anyway, Kira headed for the Frying Dutchman for Fish and Chips and I had Footlong Chili Dog (with the weird coleslaw on top) and Tater Tots. I think we both were looking forward to the drinks - Kira wanted the Flaming Moe and I wanted to try the Duff Beer.


I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from drinks. Duff's was a decent beer that was cold, slightly bitter and good with the salty fried food. The Flaming Moe was really small and kinda too sweet. I get that it's a specialty drink in a theme park, but it was also pretty small. That said, Kira loved it and I'm sure that cup is going to be in heavy rotation at our house. Fed and and happy, we headed to our E.T. - always our first and last ride of the trip. More to come....

 

[macraven]

ET is a great placeto start the rides

 

[Kivara]

Loving your trip report and lovely family pics so far...can't wait for more! I must ask, was the Flaming Moe cup difficult to clean with the kinda open bottom & dry ice? And is it sturdy?
DS wants to try the Flaming Moe on our upcoming trip & I'd hate for the plastic cup to shatter in the park bag.

 

[snoopboop]

Starting to really feel the hunger and (being up since 3:30 a.m.) we headed straight to Springfield USA for lunch. I was kinda surprised by the controlled chaos that place. We waited for about 15 minutes in line before being able to order. I know that it's none of my business, but I'm still surprised when people wait in line for 15 minutes and then have no idea what they want to order when they get the counter.

Oh my goodness... I have a story about the Springfield food court.... This was shortly after it opened, and lines were LONG. We finally got to the final stretch, where you're in the part of the queue that walks along the back of the deli-style area where you can grab sandwiches, fruit cups, etc..... Anyway, we spied a middle-aged woman, accompanied by her husband, who was apparently having a great deal of trouble selecting a sandwich. She took a sandwich off the shelf, opened the plastic container, and proceeded to use her hands to dig through the sandwich to determine whether the ingredients were to her liking. Clearly they were NOT, as the then closed the container and put it back on the shelf!

I was completely floored, and though I usually try to stay out of other people's business, but on this occasion I caught the attention of her husband and said something along the lines of "you can't dig through the sandwich like that and then put it back on the shelf!"... and he got right up in my face and sternly said, "NO!" My friends and I just sort of looked at each other, bewildered, as the man walked away.

Thankfully, we were able to alert an employee, who removed the sandwich from the display.

What in the WORLD!? Who would think it's OK to do that?

 

[Chinedu]

Glad you guys are enjoying the trip report! Kivara - the Flaming Moe cup is pretty sturdy, its made of a hard plastic. The cup survived being at the bottom of my bag that I carried around the parks for remainder of the day. I would suggest making sure that there is no liquid in the bottom chamber and all of the dry ice? pellets have dissolved before doing anything with the cup.

SnoopBoop - your story is hilarious and I can totally see that happening there!

 

[Kivara]

Thanks for the assurance, Iheoma! DS would be upset to spend that much on a drink/souveneir cup & have it break the first day!