Third Time's The Charm! Solo Universal PTR AND TR! COMPLETE!!!

[Shock13]

USO vs. WDW Comparison

I seriously can't help myself when comparing my theme park experiences so here's the lowdown if you are interested in reading. Just some background is that I have visited WDW four times and three of those visits I stayed onsite at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Swan and Pop Century. I will try and keep it brief.

Resorts: Cabana Bay is quite exceptional and I'm sure when Pop first opened it was fun and shiny and of course very family-friendly but CBR is just more enjoyable for my taste and needs. The standard rooms are interior which made it safer for a female solo traveler and of course no dark areas when walking from my room to the lobby area. The vanity area seems to be much bigger than at Pop and more lit-up. With it being an interior room, the large windows brought in that natural light which was so nice. Lobbies at both resorts are open and spacious but CBR has that more wow factor. Gift shops were pretty similar too with merchandise selection although I do like the fact that CBR's gift shop isn't connected to the food court. Which brings me to the food...quality is the same and I think prices are similar as well. The separate serving areas seemed to be more open at CBR. The food selection is by far more abundant at Pop. The grab-and-go items at Bayliner were seriously lacking. CBR's dining area was more spacious and open with rows of windows on either side bringing in that natural light and of course it was so much fun watching the old commercials while eating which added to the ambiance. I also felt staff were more friendly at CBR.

Rides: I love rides. I love the interactions and theming as well as a fun time on a roller coaster. I also love movies so I think Universal is the perfect mix. I feel as though I'm getting a ride and a show with them instead of just floating by animatronics. Universal does a great job of including the rider into the story. I understand that some Disney rides do this as well. Radiator Springs Racers at DLR is a perfect example of it being interactive but most of the time, the rider is just an observer.

Shows: Okay, so I'll admit that Disney puts on some pretty spectacular shows but Universal does not disappoint especially with the comedy. The Horror Make-Up show was my ultimate favorite and Beetlejuice from Graveyard Mash-Up was spot-on.

Characters: Universal characters definitely interact more than the ones at Disney. Rarely do Disney characters ask where I'm from and actually instigate a conversation. Being a solo it can be awkward with characters but with only one exception at USO (Shaggy) the characters I took pics with never seemed to be in any hurry to take the picture and then move along.

Clientele I'll state the obvious and say that there are far less young kids at Universal. Which was great for me since that meant very few strollers which eliminated a rather pesky obstacle when walking about. I saw more families with older kids and groups of adults. There was also many international visitors who were so friendly and helpful (I'm looking at you England!)

Please keep in mind that these comparisons come from a solo traveler with vision limitations so I understand that young families and couples may have a different view on things.

 

[schumigirl]

Looking forward to hearing your opinion of the restaurants you mentioned as they are among our favorites.

The character interaction at UOR is always fantastic, never rushed and love how they take the time with you......we have found especially Shaggy and Scooby, so it's a shame you didn't have that same experience.

I love that you love the parks and yep there's definetley less little kids and the dreaded strollers around at UOR...........

Ready for more

 

[Shock13]

USO vs. USH Comparison

This is for anyone that may travel to the west side to visit Disneyland Resort and may consider doing a day at Universal Studios Hollywood. Of course many of you know that USH only consists of one park and therefore has less attractions but the fact that it is part of a working movie studio is what really makes this park so much fun.

USH has some similar attractions to USO such as Transformers, The Mummy, The Simpsons Ride, Jurassic Park, Shrek 4-D and Despicable Me. But some of the rides do not mirror exactly. Jurassic Park has some settle differences while Revenge of the Mummy is completely different. Also much of USH does not have the large, themed areas like USO. For example, the entrance to Mummy is right across the street to Jurassic Park and Transformers is just down the way. This of course makes it super easy to jump from one ride to another but less immersive.

The shows at USH are just as great. There is a special effects show which has the similar set-up with the Horror Make-Up show with a serious host and a much less serious co-host and is very funny. It even has some unpredictability like the Horror Make-Up show. All of them are very well done.

Now there are 2 main attractions at USH which USO doesn't have. The first being the studio tram tour. This is such a great tour! Not only do you pass by movie sets and the backlots but there are mini-attractions that the tram takes part in so you never have to get up. These include Jaws, Earthquake and King Kong to name a few.
The second one is the Waterworld show. This is a spectacular stunt show based on the 1995 movie starring Kevin Costner. So yes the show has been around a long time but it's still super popular and if it ain't broke...
If anyone is interested in the details of my VIP tour trip at USH then PM me and I'll email you the link. I hope this helps a little to anyone who might (do it!) visit USH in the future!

 

[schumigirl]

My nephew and his girlfriend are out there just now to do USH......he wasn`t that keen to be honest, but they are really enjoying it. They head to Orlando next Thursday i think so will be interesting to hear what they thought of the two parks.

We have never been to USH. May incorporate it into a planned wine trip to California in a few years

 

[Shock13]

How fun to enjoy both parks in such a short time frame! There are definitely some differences both bad and good but overall I do like both parks and look forward to visiting USH when the new Harry Potter area is complete.

 

[Shock13]

For those that read my PTR may remember that I went to Anaheim for a friend's wedding for the weekend and then spent a couple of days with my sister who lives near San Diego. So my trip begins out of San Diego at about 5am as my flight left around 6:30. My bro-in-law was nice enough to drive me to the airport which is only about 30 minutes away but for some reason I always get anxious when flying out of SAN. It has nothing to do with the flight or the airport but more along the lines of that my sister or her husband never seem to be in a hurry to get me to the airport in enough time for me to actually feel comfortable with the time I need to check in baggage and get through security. So my stomach was in a bit of knots when I arrived at the airport and found it very busy. Luckily, I wasn't flying Delta which seemed to have some very long lines. I just recently acquired the USAirways credit card which allows me to utilize the First Class check-in line which had no one waiting. An agent was there to help me get my bag checked in and within minutes I was heading to the gates. Security was a breeze and soon I was at the gate. With my vision issues I usually request pre-board (which is never questioned) but with the credit card, I get to board just behind the "elite". Also boarding early with an assigned seat is not that big of a deal as it is when I fly Southwest but the perk is nice. Since my seat was one of the furthest into the plane, I was alone out there for a while.

I got my window seat and was surprised to see that no one sat in the middle seat of what looked to be a very full plane but I'm not complaining! When doing my check-in the previous day, it showed that the middle seat was not vacant so I thought for sure the middle seat would be filled in PHX where I had a layover. The flight over to PHX was super short and the few of us that were to remain on to MCO were told we could get out and walk around as the plane wouldn't be boarded for another 40 minutes. I decided to head out to the terminal and use the bathroom and buy some snacks. This was a bad idea as the terminal was packed with people and I did not bring my cane with me. I always use my cane when I'm at the airport as many people like to cut across from my left and I'm tripping over their luggage. Oh well, I managed. I decided to call my other sister who lives near Philadelphia and we chatted for a bit before I got to reboard. And again no one in the middle seat! It's the little things, right? All I can say about this flight is that it was long but uneventful. I wish I could sleep while flying but it never seems to happen no matter how tired I am.

Arriving in Orlando (about 3:45pm), I was greeted with cloudy skies and light rain. I really hadn't checked the weather for that day so it was a slight surprise since I was expecting sunny weather. After picking up my suitcase, I made my way over to the taxi stand. The woman handling the taxis asked if it was okay that I ride in a van (I had my cane) since the driver was the next in line. I told her no problem and the driver was great helping me get in the van. It may not seem like a big deal but with depth perception issues, you won't believe how many times I've hit my head getting into a vehicle. The driver wasn't much of a conversationalist but that was okay by me as I just wanted to sit and enjoy the ride. As soon as we drove up to Cabana Bay Resort, I got so excited that I was finally at Universal! I was immediately greeted by the bellman who was super friendly and he led me over to the line for the front desk. I felt bad because it was then I realized I forgot to get some change at the airport so I had dollar bills to tip. I explained to him that I lacked change and would give him his tip when I saw him again. I know he was probably thinking "yeah right" but he was very sweet about it. I made sure to take note of his name (Rolph). I worked in hotels in the past so I know how hardworking the service staff are and deserve a little extra.

Pics!
*I am not much of a photographer so pictures are far from high quality. I used my iPhone as my main camera (which I never did before) and an 8 year old Sony cybershot as a backup so no judging!

Front desk and Lobby

Seating just outside of the lobby before entering the pool area.

Pool area near the suites.

Pool area near the standard rooms. Not as fancy as the other one but this one had the lazy river.

I also saw schedules in the elevators of the movies being shown for the month. They weren't all animated ones. I remember seing X-Men: Days of Future Past on the list as well as Wolverine 2, I think.

Bayliner Diner Dining Room. Sorry no pics of the serving area.

 

[HM]

Off to a good start. I like your pictures. Some of different areas I hadn't seen in pictures before.

 

[Shock13]

Off to a good start. I like your pictures. Some of different areas I hadn't seen in pictures before.

Thank you! I actually had a few more but they were accidentally deleted from my phone.

 

[Shock13]

After getting checked in and given the lowdown of the resort amenities, I was off to find my room. After a bit of a wrong turn trying to find the elevators, I finally made it to the top floor (7th) but once going down the long hallway beginning to doubt if I was in the right tower since the room number sequences are a bit confusing. But found the room and I was pleasantly surprised by the the decor.

*A few pictures on my phone accidentally got deleted and I couldn't find a way to retrieve them so I apologize for no pics of the beds and windows.
ALSO...some of these pics were taken on different days so no confusion on why I said it was cloudy and rainy and in the pic it's clearly not.

Views outside of the awesome windows.

I like to thumb through the information binders at hotels and I opened this one up to find that someone decided to add their own artwork.

I was very hungry at this point but I had to get to the parks to get my AP before it got any later so I didn't have to wait in line the next morning. If it wasn't so cloudy I probably could have taken my time but light was fading fast! It was a good thing actually since I already knew my way around the next day. So I headed down to the CBR bus stop and there was already a bus waiting. After a couple more minutes we were at the parks in less than 5 minutes.

Citywalk is just way cool with the fun restaurants and shops and giant movie theater. USH has the same but it is a much scaled down version. I also got a good view of the mini golf. I would love to try that out when I return with someone. Mini golf solo would just be sad! I really didn't know exactly where I was going but luckily I veered towards the right which took me straight to Universal. No wait at guest services and I got my AP in no time.

I leisurely walked back through Citywalk to the bus stop and again a bus waiting to return me to CBR where I could finally get some food! I went straight to Bayliner Diner and perused the menus looking for something light as I was having stomach issues earlier in the day. I settled for the roast turkey provolone sandwich with a side of pasta salad. The sandwich was just okay. The bread was thick which was fine but it was also hard which meant it was probably sitting out for a little while. The pasta also was a bit lukewarm. Sadly, I was so hungry I just scarfed it all down. (I don't have a picture of the food because it was one of the ones that got deleted but I promise to have food pics for most of my other meals!) I sat at one of the tables facing the screen and watched a few commercials while eating which was really entertaining. A lady then sat nearby and she was alone so I asked her if she had already been here for a while and she told me that she had checked in yesterday and today was her first day at the parks. We talked a little about Diagon Alley then said our goodbyes. Even though she was staying for the week as well, I didn't see her again but it was nice to chat. After finishing up my food, I went back to the room to unpack and decompress and write down my notes for the day. It was a bit later I heard some loud popping noises and was like "what the..." and went to the window to see this.

This was all I was able to see of the Cinematic Spectacular since I didn't plan on attending at the park. But definitely an awesome view of the fireworks.

Overall, a long busy day but excited for the fun to begin!

 

[schumigirl]

Nice pictures, shame about the food......but you`re right, when you`re hungry you will eat almost anything.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip

 

[Shock13]

This Tuesday started very early with a 6:30 wake up time as I wanted to try and get to USO before the general crowd. I managed to get on the bus at 7:35. Rounded the corner from Citywalk and over the bridge and came upon this!

Yes, technically I was just here the day before but it is much more exciting with the beginning of a new day and the Back to the Future music! There are some songs at Disney that always get me excited when I enter their parks well Back to the Future will ALWAYS remind me of USO now! When I got to the gates, they were already letting people inside but still had a line to get through. I overheard a father and son talking about the Indiana Jones ride and they didn't know what theme park it was in and kept guessing it was at USH. I kindly told them it was at Disneyland and they thanked me for that information. I wanted to gush about it and be like "it's the best ride ever!" but I didn't and as of now Gringott's is a top favorite. I finally made it through by 8:00 and quickly retrieved my room key to be presented as several TM's instruct on your way to another "gate".
I do want to mention that I did not bring my cane along. I wanted to be hands-free on this day and not worry about lockers and etc so I wore a lanyard that held my AP, CC, room key and some cash. I pocketed my phone and a small flashlight. I also didn't grab a map as I would just go with the flow and follow street signs to get to places. Maps don't usually work me for me anyway as I can't see that well without my reading glasses and I certainly wasn't going to bring those along!
TM's easily directed everyone to Diagon Alley and it was a nice walk through a very uncrowded area. It was fun to hear the music changing from the various themed areas. Finally made it to London and another TM motioning on where to enter Diagon Alley.

*Some photos may be blurry because I was using my iPhone to take pictures which I never did before and also because of my poor vision, it's difficult to tell if the shot is focused.

I could hear the bricks moving!

I came around the bend to be greeted right away with this...

The dragon breathing fire was so loud and intense it literally startled me! I laughed at myself because of it but it was a wonderful greeting into Diagon Alley!
I took a slow walk towards Gringott's trying to soak in the atmosphere with all the amazing theming and familiar HP music. So immersive!

I followed the crowd into the bank and was immediately wowed by the decor and the very life-like goblins.

I was on the ride about 8:20 and the wait was about 25 minutes. Not bad at all! And it didn't break down! Well, what can I say about this awesome ride? I had high expectations for Gringott's and Universal totally delivered. I found the story to be fun and the ride mechanics so full of surprises. The ride queue area of course was very dark for me but since the line was a little slow going, it was easy to keep up with the people in front and I managed quite well without my cane. I did use my flashlight for the stairs but overall, the queue did not deter me from riding again later in the week.

I took a quick walk around the area but soon enough the crowds became very thick as the general public were now on their way in. (I will post more pics of DA as my TR continues through the week). I decided to leave DA and go forth on the Hogwarts Express.

I asked the two girls I shared the compartment with to take a picture of me as we waited to depart.

How fun is this ride! I loved how it implemented so many different things from the books. Another great immersive ride from USO! After getting off at the Hogsmeade station. I head towards Hogwarts to ride Forbidden Journey. This is where it gets really tricky. I went in the SRL (no wait) and even with my flashlight, I had a very difficult time getting through the queue area. A woman behind me offered her assistance which was super helpful but I forgot that FJ had a moving walkway to get on the ride. I literally couldn't see a thing. I'm used to moving walkways from riding Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan and etc but it was so incredibly dark, I couldn't even see the ride vehicle. The TM really didn't know what to do with me as I missed the vehicle that would join me with 3 others. He finally motioned for me to go in the next vehicle and my eyes adjusted somewhat so I finally got on but rode by myself. The TM also seemed a bit annoyed about the whole thing. I enjoyed the ride but never went back to it again during the trip.

Once out of Hogwarts I decided to try Flight of the Hippogriff which I didn't experience when I came with my mom and nephew a couple of years before. This was easily a walk on. This is a very short ride but definitely fun and Buckbeak is awesome bowing his head to you as you pass on by. I did a quick walk through Hogsmeade to take the train back to London.

I did a quick stop to say hello to the conductor and take a picture with him.

Then back to Hogsmeade station. The actual entrance to the station is kind of a long, curvy walk but it was quiet and serene and so beautiful with the surrounding vegetation. It was also a bit creepy since I was the only one making way over. Once again, the ride back to London was great with more characters and places from the book. I also loved the Knight Bus driving around through traffic.

Speaking of Knight Bus, it was time for a visit. I took the short walk over to London and got to see Kreacher looking on us muggles with total dismay.

Then over to the Knight Bus...

The Knight Bus conductor (didn't get his name) and the shrunken head were hilarious. This is how my interaction went...

Conductor: What is your name?
Me: Veronica
Shrunken Head: Ohh...that sounds like a royal name. Are you from royalty?
Me: I don't think so.
Shrunken Head: I'm royalty.
Conductor: You are not.
Shrunken Head: Yes, I am. I'm a royal pain in the a**!

Absolutely funny and engaging. This was definitely one of my top character interactions during the trip.

*More to come soon...

 

[schumigirl]

Nice pics, and you seemed to have had a wonderful time that day, apart from the beginning of FJ. Such a shame you didn`t go back on it.

The Shrunken head is soo funny!!!!

 

[Shock13]

After my Knight Bus fun I decided to take a water/snack break and so I sat on a bench nearby and relaxed for a few minutes. Then I made my way over to MIB. I never been on this ride and was very excited to finally try it. Buzz Lightyear is one of my favorite rides at Disney and I knew this was similar.

SRL was a walk-on and soon I was taking a seat in the back of the ride vehicle. Unfortunately, the ride was much too dark for me to see much of anything and so my overall score was dismal. Plus, I wasn't expecting the sudden spinning and I truly wasn't a fan of it. I REALLY wanted to like this ride and thought for certain I would be riding it multiple times but that was my first and only time I rode MIB. Maybe I'm just getting old.... I made my way then to the Simpson's area. I had no intention in riding Simpson's as it is not one of my favorites. I swear I'm not a Debbie Downer! They have this ride at USH which I've ridden several times so I was okay with skipping it.

Simpson's area is so cute! They really did a great job making it seem like you were actually walking through Springfield.
Then over to Transformers.

I love this ride. Even more than Spider-Man. I'm not fond of the movies at all. I think I've only seen the first 2 Transformers movies and a couple of Spider-Man so it really has nothing to do with one favorite over the other. When it comes to the 3-D effects, it just works for me better in Transformers for some reason. I also like the sequence of events of the story and that you're riding inside a transformer who communicates with the others. I just think that's kind of cool. Maybe I watched a little Transformers when I was younger...

After Transformers (which I forget to mention was another walk-on) I decided to do Mummy. I asked one of the TM's where it was located and she sent me in the total wrong direction. She said it was over by the Terminator 2 show. Umm....nope. So after a thorough tour of the park I finally found it and got in the SRL. I love the Mummy movies and the ride at USH so I was very excited to do a repeat of the ride during the week. But alas, it was not to be. The queue area was much too dark and when I rounded one corner, some idiot from the standby line decided it was funny to yell in your face to scare you. I was already frustrated with the lack of light so I seriously wanted to smack him but I managed to get on the ride and enjoyed it but unfortunately I just couldn't go through that queue again so that was it for Mummy. Do you see a pattern here? It gets better. I promise.

After Mummy I decided to go back to the resort to get some lunch and rest for a little while. I usually take a break during the day so this is normal practice. This was also when I started getting sick so I was more tired than usual. Once at the resort, I made my way to Bayliner Diner and got some pizza to take to my room and relax.

I also got some carrot sticks/celery to snack on later. The pizza was just okay. Pizza is one of my favorites and I'm usually not picky but I found the sauce a bit too sweet. But it was fine.

After lunch I decided to take a nap and again because I wasn't feeling well, I was out for a long time. When I woke up I wasn't up to going back to the parks and so I decided to hang out at the resort. I did some swimming then meandered through the gift shop to see what they had compared to what was inside the parks. This way if I decided to buy something I could get it at the resort instead of carrying it around or having it sent over. The resort was very quiet during my week there so the public areas were mostly empty especially during the day.

Dinner was another visit to Bayliner Diner and this time I ordered the Cabana Bay Burger which had mushrooms and sauteed onions. It was delicious! A very large portion of food and the fries were decent too and they were actually hot! I also grabbed some dessert from the grab-and-go coolers. They had a very limited selection of snacks and desserts. The cheesecake was nothing fancy perhaps similar to Sara Lee but it was good enough for that something sweet.

My day ends with a little HGTV then to bed to get some rest for an early day at Islands of Adventure!

 

[Shock13]

Nice pics, and you seemed to have had a wonderful time that day, apart from the beginning of FJ. Such a shame you didn`t go back on it.

The Shrunken head is soo funny!!!!

Yes, no more FJ was disappointing but I'm glad I didn't have any bad experience with Gringott's because I really like that ride.
Shrunken head =

 

[Threeboysandachickie]

If it's ok with you, I would like to offer some future visit advice! I have experienced all the same ride queue frustrations. Now, as I enter the ride building I immediately tell the TM I need assistance getting to the loading station. They will either send you up the exit ramp or to the elevator. Thus no more dark confusing queues. This takes all the frustration and embarrassment out of touring the parks. I hope you can use this advice next time you take a trip to USO!!!!

 

[Shock13]

If it's ok with you, I would like to offer some future visit advice! I have experienced all the same ride queue frustrations. Now, as I enter the ride building I immediately tell the TM I need assistance getting to the loading station. They will either send you up the exit ramp or to the elevator. Thus no more dark confusing queues. This takes all the frustration and embarrassment out of touring the parks. I hope you can use this advice next time you take a trip to USO!!!!

Thank you for this info! I never knew that was a possibility. Good to know for future visits.

 

[Shock13]

This day was a rather short day at the parks for me. Also I had some camera issues so pictures will be limited in this post.

My day started a little late (again I was feeling blah!) and managed to make it to the bus stop around 10:00. This time I veered to the left and took a nice short walk through parts of Citywalk I hadn't seen before. It really is such a nice area and it kind of reminds me of an teenage/adult version of Downtown Disney (without the Mickey overload).

As you can see they already began putting up some of the Christmas decorations.

Port of Entry is very cool.

I then headed towards the Hulk roller coaster all the while telling myself not to chicken out. I don't usually do intense rides with Rock N Roller Coaster @ DHS being the most intense I've ever been on so I was completely intimidated by the Hulk.

I checked my things into a locker (I brought a backpack this time as well as my cane) then joined the SRL.
I was soooo nervous. A girl in front of me (about 13 years old maybe) asks me if I've ever been on it and I told her no and that I was scared. She tells me that this was her 14th time going on today!!! She assures me it is fun and not scary and of course I don't believe her but she is very nice about it. We end up sitting together on the same row and she tells me again how fun it is. Well...she was totally right! I loved it! Very smooth ride too considering I was in one of the last rows. After we got off, she asks me if I liked it and I told her I loved it and she asks me if I want to go again with her. I declined. I really wanted to go on again but I was so doped up on medicine from my motion sickness and impending full-blown cold that I didn't want to rock the boat. But as we are exiting I asked her if she was visiting with her family and she said she was and from England. Now I thought she was because I kept hearing a bit of an accent but then sometimes I didn't hear one at all so I confessed to her how I wasn't sure if she was from England or not. She then told me she watches a lot of American TV and tries to adopt our accent. I'm glad she clarified this because I thought it was my medication that was making me hear things. I didn't get her name but she was a total sweetheart.

After collecting my things, I walked into the melee of superhero madness and take a couple of pictures.

Then I see Cyclops taking pics and there was hardly anyone around. I jumped behind this couple excited to get my picture with him. X-Men are my absolute favorite superheroes. I wasn't into the comic books or anything but I watched all the Saturday morning cartoons and of course love all the movies. So imagine my disappointment when I asked a girl to take the picture for me using my iPhone and it didn't work! The screen kept coming up blank like it was frozen. I worked with it for a few seconds while Cyclops goes on about failed technology or something. I'm frantically trying to get it to work but it's hopeless. Cyclops is sweet about it and reminds me that he'll be around all day. Talk about embarrassing!

So the next fifteen minutes is spent on a bench talking to my sister who is an iPhone expert about how to get my camera working again. She gives me some suggestions and nothing is working. Meanwhile across the way, Rogue shows up to take pictures and I growl and get mad because I wanted a picture with her too. Now of course I had my back-up point-and-shoot camera to use exactly for this kind of situation but it was safe and sound back in my hotel room. More of this...

Oh well. I bypass Spider Man with a 35 minute wait. I don't remember if this had an SRL or not but again with me already loopy I didn't want to chance it and the 3-D screens are the worst on my motion sickness. I told myself I would be back to ride it later in the week.
I continue on passing through the Toon area. Fun and a little obnoxious but I could see how it definitely appeals to kids and of course some nostalgia of comic readers and cartoon watchers. Then onto one of my favorite rides...Jurassic Park. I brought flip-flops with me this day so my socks and tennis shoes wouldn't get wet. I hate wet socks! So I changed my shoes and placed my phone and wallet in a ziploc bag since I would be carrying my backpack with me on the ride. There is no SRL for JP but the wait time is posted at 10 minutes and it took less than 5 minutes to get on. So the boat continues on and I notice some subtle differences with this JP than the one at USH. Then while we were just about to confront the T-REX our boat stops and an announcement is overheard that there is to be no filming. The man in front of me was filming during the ride. He doesn't get it and so the announcement is made again until he finally puts his camera away. Needless to say, the drop was very anti-climactic.
I got a few sprinkles and so of course I decide to go on again feeling I got gypped out of my scary T-Rex moment. I also knew that most likely since I only got a few drops of water that I would be getting soaked by the end of the ride. Murphy's Law and all. So I get on and enjoy the lovely music and pleasant narrators voice and non-scary dinosaurs until things start to look amiss then just when T-Rex is to appear...stop..."please remove all hats"...what the???....so hats are removed (just one guy) and then we confront the dino and down the hill for my not-surprising shower. Blah! Is this a normal thing for them to just stop the ride?
Besides my 2 ride fails, I absolutely love the Jurassic Park area! It is so serene and tons of vegetation and it seems to go on for a long time. The theming here is just perfect.

After switching shoes and wringing all the water out of my hair, I start to make my way around towards Mythos to get some lunch. I walked through Hogsmeade which was a complete zoo and it takes forever to get through. I thought perhaps there was a shortcut to bypass that area but I guess not. I find Mythos fairly easily and the wait is at 15-20 minutes. Not bad as it is close to 12:30. I wait about 10 minutes and at my request I am NOT seated in the center of the restaurant but along the tiered area. The view is okay as I'm facing more of the inside of the restaurant than the huge window with a great view. I peruse the menu and wait and wait and wait. Finally a server comes and take my order of fish tacos. (Sorry no pics because of my stupid phone.) Bread comes and I eat one slice but I'm not a fan of it. I wait some more...finally my food arrives! I ordered the potato salad with the tacos which is okay although a bit more dressing than I would have preferred and have one delicious taco. The tortilla was soft and the cabbage crunchy and the fish very tasty and a good portion. I wasn't sure what to make of that small cup of watermelon/tomato thing but I taste it and I finish it right away. I may have enjoyed it more than the taco. At this point though, I can't eat anymore. I'm surprised I don't have much more of an appetite considering I had only a granola bar and fruit snacks a few hours ago but I know it's because of my cold. The server doesn't come back for a looooong time and I finally get to leave with my boxed leftovers. I timed my restaurant experience at exactly 1 hour and 20 minutes. Yikes! Food yummy...service meh but I understand anyone can have an off day.

At this point I'm feeling very rundown so I casually make my way back to the exit. I admire the Suess area which is super cute and surprisingly not crowded or filled with strollers. I decide to stop inside the candy shop (don't remember the name) and bought a chocolate/peanut butter cupcake to snack on later. Yum!

I make it back to the resort around 3:00 and rest for a bit before taking a walk around the resort and gift shop and debate about doing some pool time but with my cold, I'm just not feeling it. I finish my leftovers for dinner and munch on some cupcake before a little more HGTV and then to bed. Overall a short day but still very fun. Tomorrow an early day for some Diagon Alley!

 

[snoopboop]

If it's ok with you, I would like to offer some future visit advice! I have experienced all the same ride queue frustrations. Now, as I enter the ride building I immediately tell the TM I need assistance getting to the loading station. They will either send you up the exit ramp or to the elevator. Thus no more dark confusing queues. This takes all the frustration and embarrassment out of touring the parks. I hope you can use this advice next time you take a trip to USO!!!!

Not only this, but there is a separate, stationary, loading platform on FJ that sounds like it would work very well for you! You just need to alert them to the fact that you'd like to use that one!

 

[schumigirl]

Nice update.........sounds like a really lovely day apart from feeling a bit off.

Glad you enjoyed the Hulk.......

 

[Shock13]

***I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth! So sorry followers but the past month and a half were so hectic, some good and some bad. I got very busy at work right before Christmas and then I took a bunch of days off before the winter break. Then lo and behold I get sick again!!! I ended up missing 7 days of work due to an upper respiratory infection. This was actually a wake-up call to get healthy so I'm doing my best in avoiding soda and junk food and start taking some much needed vitamins. But enough about that...onto the report!

Before I get started on my Thursday I have to mention that I woke up around midnight to my new neighbors moving in next door. They had a young boy about six or seven and boy was he excited to be at Universal! When he asked his parents if he could turn on the TV, I think I cringed a little but they said no and after a few minutes I fell back asleep. This was a clear indication that the walls at Cabana Bay were very thin.
So this day was going to be spent at USO and actually made into Citywalk around 8:30 which was pretty miraculous really considering I felt awful. As I made my way to the gates, there was a young boy who kept asking his dad how scary Gringott's ride was and his dad was clearly getting frustrated trying to convince his son that it wasn't that scary. When the boy asked his dad "can I ask someone if they thought it was scary?" his dad snapped at him. I don't have kids so I really don't know how I'd react to an insistent child but I really wanted to assure that little boy.

First thing, I went to Diagon Alley to explore more of the Harry Potter awesomeness doing some window shopping and picture taking. I decided to then have breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron.
A TM was outside of the entrance trying to get people to go in and it was fairly empty when I went inside and so didn't wait long at all to order my food. I ordered the American breakfast (is that what's called). The experience would have probably been more enjoyable if the cashier wasn't pushing the dining plan on me. Based on my eating habits, the dining plan is definitely not something that would work for me. I had to firmly turn her down. Even though the food is delivered, I did ask for someone to carry my juice for me as I had my cane and it was very dark in the ordering area. I didn't wait long at all for my food.

I didn't find anything spectacular about the food and found it to be average and enough of everything to get me full. I love how they have the utensils/napkins/condiments all right there in a caddy at each table. That's so nice not having to get up and collect everything as weaving around tables/people is often difficult for me.
Some pics of the restaurant...but no leaky cauldron.

After breakfast I visited the Magical Creatures store and decided to buy Buckbeak for my 6 month old niece. I wanted to get her something to wear but after asking a TM, they did not carry anything HP related in those small sizes. My sister and her husband loved the Buckbeak though. I asked for the plush to be sent to the resort so I didn't have to carry it around. I got the feeling the TM seemed a bit annoyed by this but oh well, it's a perk when staying at the resorts and so I'm going to use it!
Then I made my way over to the stage to take in a tale of Beetle the Bard. I was excited to see this and although I loved the show (Tale of the Three Brothers) I wished it lasted longer. I hung around a bit more to see Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. What a great show! Her voice is amazing and the songs were so much fun. At that time, I wished my mom was with me because she's into that kind of music. I'll have to bring her one day.
After the shows, I stopped by the Weasley's joke shop. I wanted to get gifts for my nephews. I asked the TM's there what is a good toy for a 7 year-old and a 4 year-old. They were so funny. One of the TM's suggested the screaming yo-yo for my oldest nephew and then he looked at the other TM and together they said the Master Blaster for the 4 year-old. These toys were a huge hit with my nephews. The kids had no idea what a whoopee cushion was and so when my nephew was instructed to sit on it, his face when that thing blew was priceless! When I asked for the items to be sent to the resort, the TM's were extremely nice about it unlike the previous TM.

So I decided to say farewell to DA until the next day and ventured over to see the Horror Make-Up show.

I LOVED this show! I was laughing so hard throughout and even though I predicted what was going to happen at the end, I still got a little startled from it. Extremely well done. I just wish I was able to take a picture with Marty though since she was no doubt the hit of the show.

I ran into some characters on the virtually empty Hollywood streets.

Then onto to this...

This show was at USH for a long time but somehow I never watched it. I really should have made an effort when it first opened up because now it seems very dated. Also I was just confused on the storyline. One moment the audience is part of the live action and then the next we are watching a movie clip then back at live action.

I walked by this on the way to my next show...

Noooooooooooo!!!!! I just couldn't do it. Maybe if I wasn't feeling so sick...nah who am I kidding. Even at my best health, I probably STILL wouldn't even do it.


Next on the list was to see Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue. Okay, I admit there is some cheesiness but I loved this show. The music was fun and the song mash-up well-done. It certainly didn't hurt that Ballroom Blitz is one of my favorites. Beetlejuice was hilarious telling corny jokes and just overall acting just like the Beetlejuice from the movie. I could easily see this show again.

Having enough fun for the day I headed out of the park but stopping first at guest services. Some months ago I purchased a gift card online which arrived via mail. When I tried to use it for a snack earlier, it wouldn't work and was told to go to GS. They replaced my card in no time and when I used it again, I had no issues whatsoever.

So for an early dinner (or really late lunch) I decided to go to Margaritaville.

It was very empty inside the restaurant but I was sat in the middle of everything (which I normally don't care for as a solo diner but I didn't mind this time) and my server was awesome. I think his name was Bob. I was originally going to order the shrimp but he told me the shrimp comes frozen and by his suggestion I should get the fish and chips since the fish is fresh. I'm all for that!

So delicious! Everything tasted so good from the fish to the coleslaw. What I liked best about the fish is that it wasn't greasy at all. I only ate half of my meal (which was huge!) but I still ordered the key lime pie. This was a very tart (and large) piece of pie so I ended up taking a couple of boxes full of leftovers back to the resort with me. The atmosphere was fun and lively with the music videos playing. I can just imagine how crazy the place is during it's busy times.

Back at the resort, I rested some bit and then decided to do some shopping at the gift shop. I was going to purchase one of the plush Minions for my other niece as well as some chocolate frogs for all the kids but the line was very long and the cashier seemed to be fairly new so I put my items back and plan to return the next day. I do want to add that I purchased three chocolate frogs from the store and was disappointed to see that all the kids got the same card in their boxes which was Dumbledor's brother I think. I didn't even think they would be all the same and regret not getting the frogs at different places.

Once back in my room, I ate my leftovers and early to bed to rest up for another big day tomorrow which would cover both parks. Although I was pretty rundown at this point, I was sad that my trip was coming to an end so soon.

New post will be done on Monday! I promise!