The Sky’s Awake, so I’m Awake, so we have to RUN!! – A 2017 Goofy Challenge Trip Report*COMPLETE*

[petals]

I love Via Napoli. The food is great and the sights are even better lol

 

[Sailormoon2]

I love everything about your day/evening at Epcot! What a fantastic family dynamic you have!!

 

[ZellyB]

I love Via Napoli. The food is great and the sights are even better lol

I'd always read people rave about it on here and now I get it!

I love everything about your day/evening at Epcot! What a fantastic family dynamic you have!!

Thank you! We really had the best family vacation together. I mean, we obviously had our moments with 3 teenagers in tow, but no serious blow-ups and everybody just got along great. I was so happy about that!!

 

[ZellyB]

January 9 – Animal Kingdom and a sad good-bye to Disney

We woke up bright and early for our last Disney day. Luckily not our last day of vacation as we were heading out to Universal for a few days, but it’s always sad to leave Disney behind. We had everything packed up and down at Bell Services to hold for us until our return that afternoon.

We were on the bus and headed to beautiful AK soon. My favorite park!

Picture of someone taking a picture. She stepped in there just as I was taking the shot and I was too lazy to wait and do it again.

Chris and I opted not to wear our medals because honestly they just aren’t comfortable to wear. Instead we went with our marathon shirts to celebrate!

We had an 8:00 reservation for Tusker House and I was HUNGRY. We had a nice meal and quick interactions with the various characters. Our pictures are all lousy though because of the sun coming through the windows behind us. Boo. It was still lots of fun and the breakfast was very tasty!

Hey, Donald!

And Paige’s 13-year old self is back in full force.

The main mouse!

And, of course, some Goofy action

And the lovely Daisy.

We finished up breakfast and then headed for the safari. We were on within 5 minutes or so and out to the savanna!

This Rhino was quite close. EEK!

Although he was completely uninterested in us.

We also saw the baby elephant, but she was too far away for a good picture.

Next up was a FP+ for Expedition Everest, but we needed a quick stop by this lovely.

And then it was time to head up the mountain – but first a picture. LOL

And then on to the ride!

Always fun! Although can I take a minute to complain about the stupid hair ties that are thrown all over the side of the track? What is up with that? I don’t understand why that’s a thing???

Anyway, we headed into Dinoland and had some time before our FP+ for Dinosaur, so the kids and I decided to ride Primeval Whirl. I’ve never actually ridden this before and it was sort of fun. More than I expected anyway. Chris set it out since the whole spinning thing is not good for him. It ended up being a pretty long wait, but once finished it was time for our Dinosaur FP. I know this ride is rough, but I love it anyway. I told Paige we should act terrified for the picture and then waited too long to do it, but Paige deserves an Oscar!

We decided we would probably go ahead and head out for the day because the kids were anxious to get to Universal, but we did opt for a quick viewing of It’s tough to be a Bug before leaving. I always enjoy this one although I hate that thing that pokes you in the back!

We headed out to the bus lane and had the only really long wait we had for this trip waiting for the bus back to the resort. We saw 2-3 buses come and go for the other resort stops before ours showed up. Not sure what was up with that, but whatever. It did give me time to get a shot of the new floating mountains for Pandora.

I thought the movie Avatar was pretty good, but am just not sure how well it fits in with my beloved Animal Kingdom, but I’m happy to see the park getting some love and attention and, if these mountains are any indication, it should be amazing looking!

Once the bus arrived, we were back at Beach Club in no time. We had decided to try for an Uber XL to get us to Universal although I was worried if it would be big enough for us and our luggage. But, no worries, it was a nice big minivan with a super nice older gentlemen driving us. So, it was a fond and sad farewell to Beach Club and on to Universal!!

Next Up: Universal, we are here!


​

 

[rteetz]

I just love AK! Tusker House is a favorite of mine.

Avatar has a big conservation theme and AK is all about that so that's how I feel it fits. I can't wait for it to open.

 

[ZellyB]

I just love AK! Tusker House is a favorite of mine.

Avatar has a big conservation theme and AK is all about that so that's how I feel it fits. I can't wait for it to open.

That's a really good point about the conservation theme. I hadn't thought about it in those terms. So, they are still saying opening this summer for Avatar? Is that right? So, it should be up and running by the time I'm back for Dopey, right?

 

[rteetz]

That's a really good point about the conservation theme. I hadn't thought about it in those terms. So, they are still saying opening this summer for Avatar? Is that right? So, it should be up and running by the time I'm back for Dopey, right?

A media event was just scheduled for May 21-28, 2017. That's the period Avatar has been rumored to open so it should most definitely be up and running by Jan. 2018.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Although can I take a minute to complain about the stupid hair ties that are thrown all over the side of the track? What is up with that? I don’t understand why that’s a thing???

Why is that a thing? It looks so bad and I feel like it could be a hazard if some of them were to get into the track.

And I had the same problem with getting a bus from AK to BC. It took forever and I watched 2-3 buses go by for every other resort. I even thought about taking the boardwalk bus and walking over.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Your medals sure are pretty! That Mickey one is one of the very best rD medals I've seen.

Jasmine really looks straight up animated in that picture with your son! Like her colors and makeup look so vivid (and pretty)!

I LOVE Via Napoli! That is a family favorite for sure.

That text from your girls cracks me up! I love it when kids have a good sense of humor!

Great group shots (as always) with you guys.

You and Chris look great in your marathon shirts!

 

[ariane37]

I love that message from your DD's Sounds like something my DS11 will write someday, while my DS14 just tells me to please leave him alone
I recently watched Avatar for the first time so once Pandora opens I have some sort of clue what it's about. It was good; didn't love it but didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would. But I believe @rteetz is right, it's the whole conservation angle that makes it a fit
Looking forward to your Universal updates, I'll,be there for a training in a couple weeks!

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

Finally caught up! Congratulations to you and Chris!!! Great job, especially toughing through pain and mental anguish. I love your customs shirts, so clever, no wonder you had many compliments. I also really like your castle shot with the Dream Lights - they just make everything better, including already awesome race photos. You two had a lot of great character stops, too - my favorite was easily Joy/Sadness, not only because of the uniqueness, but your and Chris's mimicry. Fantastic!

Ugh, the post-DAK letdown. I remember it well from last year. There were a lot of character stops on that stretch, though, almost an homage to Tower of Terror 10-Miler with all the villains. That helped a little bit, but it was still a loooooooong stretch.

I may or may not have salivated a little seeing your pizza! That looked amazing and delicious and I just knew somehow you'd all manage to make quick work of it. Via Napoli really is a great place for race weekends.

I'm totally over the texts with your kids. Hilarious and deadpan - love it!!

Congratulations again and really enjoying your TR.

 

[ZellyB]

January 10 – Welcome to Universal

After a short and easy drive over to the Hard Rock Hotel, we checked in for our hotel. We were very happy to learn that our Family Suite was ready. After going frugal at Disney with 5 of us in a studio, I had splurged with a Family Suite at Club Level for Hard Rock. I’m a terrible trip reporter and did not take pictures of the room or the club lounge. I’ll say that both were very nice and we felt like we had just a luxurious amount of space.


We settled in and decided to rest for a bit before heading out. The kids explored the hotel and Chris and I did a quick load or two of laundry. Eventually we headed back out to get our Express passes from the hotel kiosks. I do love the Express Pass at Universal. I know because of sheer volume of on-site guests at Disney it’s not a viable alternative there, but we sure do love it at Universal! After a couple of challenges, we had our passes in hand and headed out to visit the parks. We found the boat launches quickly and went through the metal detector and bag searches right there. I really liked this feature as then once on the boat, we didn’t have to worry about any other security checks.

We decided to hit up Islands of Adventure first. Clearly we must have been tired or something because I have ZERO pictures of this first day. HA! Anyway, I know we rode Hulk and Spiderman and then headed to ride Skull Island Reign of Kong. With express pass we only waited about 15 minutes or so and were on the ride. Color me unimpressed. I mean it was okay, but I basically felt like I was just watching a 3-D movie on either side of a moving truck. It was also kinda frenetic and crazy with a difficult to follow story line. The huge Kong animatronic (or half a Kong) was neat and well done, but the rest of the ride was pretty anticlimactic.

After that, it was getting close to park close and we were all tired, so we grabbed just a quick bite and then headed back to the hotel and all crashed out early.


The next morning we headed in early to visit Hogsmeade. The kids all wanted to sleep in, so Chris and I went solo initially although Paige followed and joined us shortly after. It was chilly by a beautiful morning.

We took a ride on Forbidden Journey inside the amazing Hogwarts Castle. This structure and queue still just amazing me and I LOVE the ride.

but, I’m about the only one who can handle it more than once, so we were one and done for the ride today.

By this time we’d heard from Drake and Sophie and they were going to join us to head over via the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley. While we were waiting, we explored some in Honeydukes.

Wine gummies we purchased for a friend back home. I should have given these a try!

Anyway, eventually we headed for the train station.

All of this still just thrills my little geek heart.

Once we disembarked in Kings Cross, the kids checked out the Knight Bus.

Then it was on to Diagon Alley. I was all set to head straight for Gringott’s, but the kids were ready for Butterbeer!!

We sat for a few minutes drinking our frosty beverage and enjoying the surroundings.

And finally I got everybody rounded up for Gringott’s. The incredibly immersive quality of this area of Universal still just astounds me. It’s really incredible what they’ve accomplished.

And these guys are insane!

We enjoyed the ride as always and eventually exited to explore the rest of the park. We rode various other rides and the kids rode Rip Ride Rocket 2 or 3 times each. One is about my limit though on that thing. Finally we were pretty well exhausted and decided to head back out to rest for a short time before dinner. Spotted Scooby and the gang as we were walking out.

I had big plans for dinner!​

 

[rteetz]

Looks great! I have never been to Universal so not much I can comment on. I'll probably get there someday.

 

[TeeterTots]

I can't wait to visit Universal.....love HP! Family suite with club access sounds super!

 

[Sailormoon2]

I love Universal!! My husband is obsessed with Rip Ride Rocket, and rode it 6x, I'm with you, one and done is plenty! I do adore everything Harry Potter and miss Butterbeer so much! We too stayed at Hard Rock, really like the modern look of the rooms, and you can not go wrong with those Express passes. In late August (our usual visit time) we waited no more than a few minutes (if it wasn't a walk on) for every ride!

 

[ZellyB]

Why is that a thing? It looks so bad and I feel like it could be a hazard if some of them were to get into the track.

And I had the same problem with getting a bus from AK to BC. It took forever and I watched 2-3 buses go by for every other resort. I even thought about taking the boardwalk bus and walking over.

I really do wish I knew why the hair tie thing is a thing? Like I don't get the point of it. And I wondered the same thing about whether or not it would be a hazard if they got on the track.

Your medals sure are pretty! That Mickey one is one of the very best rD medals I've seen.

Jasmine really looks straight up animated in that picture with your son! Like her colors and makeup look so vivid (and pretty)!

I LOVE Via Napoli! That is a family favorite for sure.

That text from your girls cracks me up! I love it when kids have a good sense of humor!

Great group shots (as always) with you guys.

You and Chris look great in your marathon shirts!

The Mickey medal is so awesome. I thought that Jasmine was looking pretty good too. I suspect my son did as well and that's why he stopped. LOL

I'm so glad we finally tried Via Napoli. Most definitely on the repeat list for future trips. And, yeah, those girls of mine are pretty funny. I can imagine them standing there together composing that thing and just cracking up about it.

I love that message from your DD's Sounds like something my DS11 will write someday, while my DS14 just tells me to please leave him alone
I recently watched Avatar for the first time so once Pandora opens I have some sort of clue what it's about. It was good; didn't love it but didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would. But I believe @rteetz is right, it's the whole conservation angle that makes it a fit
Looking forward to your Universal updates, I'll,be there for a training in a couple weeks!

I saw Avatar back when it was in the theater and like it, it was fine. I enjoyed it, but didn't think it was that great, so it sort of surprised me when Disney decided to base an area around it. I'll be curious to see it once done.

Finally caught up! Congratulations to you and Chris!!! Great job, especially toughing through pain and mental anguish. I love your customs shirts, so clever, no wonder you had many compliments. I also really like your castle shot with the Dream Lights - they just make everything better, including already awesome race photos. You two had a lot of great character stops, too - my favorite was easily Joy/Sadness, not only because of the uniqueness, but your and Chris's mimicry. Fantastic!

Ugh, the post-DAK letdown. I remember it well from last year. There were a lot of character stops on that stretch, though, almost an homage to Tower of Terror 10-Miler with all the villains. That helped a little bit, but it was still a loooooooong stretch.

I may or may not have salivated a little seeing your pizza! That looked amazing and delicious and I just knew somehow you'd all manage to make quick work of it. Via Napoli really is a great place for race weekends.

I'm totally over the texts with your kids. Hilarious and deadpan - love it!!

Congratulations again and really enjoying your TR.

Thank you for the congrats! It was definitely not one of my better races, but still great fun. And, I'm so glad everyone appreciates the Joy and Sadness picture. You have no idea how happy I was that Chris went along with it. He didn't even hesitate.

That stretch after AK just stinks. It's such a long stretch on Osceola and while I shouldn't let it get to me, it just kills me to see all those other runners so far ahead of me. But, you know, I get why they have to put that in there and you just have to gut it out, but I wish they would maybe put a couple more things along in that median to help pass the time. I really do appreciate my kids sense of humor, even if it's at my expense some of the time.

 

[ZellyB]

Looks great! I have never been to Universal so not much I can comment on. I'll probably get there someday.

I really recommend it. I mean, it's very different than Disney, but I think in a good way. If you've ever been even a casual fan of HP, those areas of the park are truly something to see and the two premier attractions are excellent rides.

I can't wait to visit Universal.....love HP! Family suite with club access sounds super!

Every fan of HP needs to go!! I'm a big fan of HP and I still remember what it felt like to walk into Hogsmeade and then Diagon Alley for the first time. It was pretty spectacular. The family suite was awesome and we did enjoy club access. I'm not sure we really used it enough to make up for the cost, but we sure did appreciate it on the couple of occasions we used it.

I love Universal!! My husband is obsessed with Rip Ride Rocket, and rode it 6x, I'm with you, one and done is plenty! I do adore everything Harry Potter and miss Butterbeer so much! We too stayed at Hard Rock, really like the modern look of the rooms, and you can not go wrong with those Express passes. In late August (our usual visit time) we waited no more than a few minutes (if it wasn't a walk on) for every ride!

Your husband is WAY tougher than me. 6 times would kill me. It's really a great ride and climbing that first hill and going over it is pretty cool, but my poor old body just can't take roller coasters like it used to.

We really liked Hard Rock too. With 3 teenagers it was definitely the right choice of resort and now that we've had a couple of trips with express pass, I just can't imagine going without it. We are likely not going to go to Universal next year when we go to run Dopey, although looking at the pictures now again has me second-guessing that choice.

 

[ariane37]

I love Rip Ride Rocket, rode it for the first time in 2015 and I plan to ride it tons more on my Universal trip next week! Gringotts would be my 2nd favorite ride there I'm also partial to E.T., but........ I'm old
Wine gummies! They sound interesting! I'll be on the lookout for them

 

[ZellyB]

I love Rip Ride Rocket, rode it for the first time in 2015 and I plan to ride it tons more on my Universal trip next week! Gringotts would be my 2nd favorite ride there I'm also partial to E.T., but........ I'm old
Wine gummies! They sound interesting! I'll be on the lookout for them

I actually really enjoy ET as well even though we didn't manage to make it over for that ride this time. Yeah, I'm really regretting not buying some wine gummies of my own. At the least I should have tried to sneak one out of the jar without letting our friend know!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I've been following along for a while now, and love your trip report! We're not runners at all. I actually had a brain surgery a couple years ago, and my condition makes it more difficult for me to do any high-impact kind of exercise. But Disney is my best motivation by far, so that along with reading your TR has inspired us! I've started slowly working my way through Couch to 5k, and I think DF and my mom and I may try to register for the 5k for the 2018 marathon weekend when registration opens up!

Loving the Universal portion so far! We had great experiences at Universal our last trip. Love the detail in Diagon Alley. You're so right about the goblins - I thought they were incredible!