Tiny Bubble? I'm Here, Big Bubble - A July 2025 TR *Updated 9/29
- Thread starter amazingact21
- Start date
piglet1979
DIS Veteran
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- Mar 18, 2015
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I am like this with driving through Jacksonville. I drove on our first drive down and told my husband I will never drive that again.
StarWarsMomofGirls!
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 16, 2015
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I'm here! I too have been spotty on here but trying to get back to reading everyone's trips! We are hoping to go to Universal for the spring break this year so can't wait to hear all about your days there!
Dis_Yoda
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2008
- Messages
- 8,105
Having driven across the state of Texas - I feel you. My next two Disney trips involve driving from the Houston area so I know those roads well. I prefer to fly but sometimes other things are involved that mean we gotta do the drive.
Nice way of breaking it all up!
Nice way of breaking it all up!
amazingact21
Upendi
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- Nov 6, 2010
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I asked Alex once which was worse, driving in Dallas or driving a minibus in London, and he answered Dallas.
As a parent, I hope my kids come visit and raid my fridge when they're older. I do laugh, though, looking back on that visit to my parent's, we really did say our hellos, and then I waltzed right into the kitchen and began preparing food.
Following! Evie and Andi could ride monsters unchained together over and over, hahaWe loved it and all of Epic was really great. I think Andi wants to go back this winter on a trip with me if we include USO/Epic, yay
I’m glad your ride wasn’t to bad and really nice you had the extra day!
I see a lot of similar interests with Andi and Evie! Which makes me a little scared about how go-go-go she might be when she's older.
I'm not sure I can handle the park days that Andi does!I hope you can manage to work in USO so you get a bonus trip with her in December!
amazingact21
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We have to travel again in November, and I insisted we fly this time. I don't think I have the patience for another road trip this year.
I agree. And I imagine as a parent, we enjoy it happening.
Following
Thanks for joining along!
amazingact21
Upendi
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Oh, I get where he's coming from, but history has shown he doesn't read much on theme park trips. My mom was a librarian and I minored in English, so we are all a house of readers. But he's bad about bringing ones he won't use. Plus, with his ADHD he's liable to forget them in a hotel, and we're terrified of having to pay a library fee for a lost book.
(Thankfully, this year since his bus ride home is 50 minutes, he's been trying audiobooks so that helps with space and keeping the item procured.)We heard someone joke that the planners of Dallas highways just threw spaghetti at the wall and used that as their building models. It's not far off.
Exactly! It's the circle of life.
(I definitely did laundry that evening, too. Just so we didn't have to dig more clothes out of our suitcases.)
It can be such a nightmare!
Thanks for hopping along on this report. I hope you can make it to Epic. It has a lot of detail and the food is such a step up from typical Universal fare.
amazingact21
Upendi
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Every time we make that road trip, we say we aren't ever going to do it again, but alas. We did it 3 times in a 12 month stretch!
Anything to help be able to afford those Disney trips, I guess. If I had to make this trip by myself, I think I would add an extra 2 hours to my trip just to avoid going through Dallas. And, yeah, I-95 through Jacksonville is rough, too!
amazingact21
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I can only imagine how crazy your life is right now with a senior! I'm sure this year will be a blur.
Houston is just as bad! Why are all these Texas cities so chaotic to drive in?! I understand what you mean about driving being unavoidable, sometimes, though. Hope both travel days go smoothly for you, and you can make it to the other side of the city mostly unscathed.
StarWarsMomofGirls!
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 16, 2015
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Applying to colleges is no joke!!! So stressfull! And Morgan needs a portfolio so it just adds to the stress.
amazingact21
Upendi
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Is this because she's applying to schools for art/animation? Or is that the new standard now? I'm trying to wrap my head around these new standards. Landon's taking double advanced maths this year so he can take Algebra next year and go ahead and get that credit knocked out before high school, and when his counselor was explaining that to me I had this realization that I'm on the cusp of a whole new world.
Add in moving schools every few years, and I feel like I need to be more informed than I currently am.Love your TR's! Definitely in for this one! The drive does not sound like fun but hey you made it to Disney
Thanks for joining along on this latest report! I'm determined not to abandon it like my last one.
amazingact21
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July 13th:
Our room at Stella Nova was ready as soon as we checked in. Alex requested a high floor, and we were granted the very top. (Floor 10.)
Time to see our temporary home!
The entire resort felt very clean and new. Since it had recently opened, there weren’t any signs of wear and tear, and all the specs were modern and efficient. So while it is very much a value hotel, it was a higher quality than one of the All Stars or Cabana Bay.
The room itself was small, but the high ceilings gave the illusion that it was larger than it actually was.
It had a couch on the opposite wall of the beds with a table, which created extra seating space and also a spot to hold backpacks. The closets in the room were big enough to store our 2 large suitcases, and there was an actual fridge in the cabinet! None of this beverage cooler nonsense.
The bathroom area was a little snug with only one sink, but it was well lit so that was a perk. We did have an awkward moment where the kids noticed the see-through glass partition put in place between the bed and bathroom.
“Mom!!! If you leave this curtain open and the bathroom door isn’t closed, you can see right into the shower!”
“What if one of us wants to step around the corner to change? We have to make sure that thing is closed!”
Ahem.
Thanks, Universal. Nice perk for a couple’s retreat, mortification material for preteen kids.
I didn’t even mean to capture Evie’s disbelief until I looked back on my camera roll and found this:
What also helped with the room size was the massive window:
It let in a lot of light, and it provided us with a fantastic view of Helios and Epic Universe!
Our first glimpse into the new theme park. We could see most everything from our vantage point, and at night we were able to see the burning windmill. If we peered really hard to our left, we could also catch snippets of the nighttime drone show at Universal.
I spent some time unpacking our belongings and organizing everything we were going to need for the next few days. The second I pushed the soft-close drawer, signaling to everyone I was finished, the kids were rushing to the door. They were ready to get to a park!
With the Universal military tickets, they have to be activated in person at a ticket window, and Alex and I wanted to knock that out this evening. Not only so we could gain entry but also to prevent us having to worry about it on another morning.
The four of took a bus to Citywalk (it took about 25 minutes) and went through security. We were flying down the moving walkways. You can always spot who is at the beginning of their vacation versus who is at the end by their walking speed. No fatigue had hit us yet!
When we got near the ticketing area of the parks, I spotted a sign we needed.
There was an important question we had answer before going into the parks.
Was Evie tall enough to ride Velocicoaster?
She was! By a lot, too. So much that nobody measured her at the entrance.
*gulp*
Evie decided right before she left that if she could do it, she wanted to try the coaster. Alex wanted her to test it before going into Epic, because he figured how she handled Velocicoaster would determine if she tried Stardust Racers or not.
Alex got the tickets sorted while the kids and I hung out and tried not to sweat too much in the Florida heat.
I also reminded Evie that if, at any point, she wanted to bail on the coaster, she could.
“Even if we make it to the loading dock, you can pass it up and walk straight through the chairs to the exit. Nobody will get mad.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m just saying, it’s a really intense ride. I know you love Dinosaurs now, and all, but there are a lot of inversions.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I didn’t go on an upside down coaster until I was 13. Dad was 14. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Mom!”
“Okay, okay!”
With our tickets ready to use, you can guess where we were headed.
The wait for Velocicoaster was about 45 minutes, but the kids both insisted they wanted to wait for it.
This was the first time the kids had been in the queue since watching the films, and they got a kick out of all the Easter eggs in the rooms. The raptor animatronics were a huge hit with Evie. She knew exactly which ones were which, and Landon appreciated the video with Owen and Claire a lot more now.
It was by said video that Evie snapped at me: “It’s like you’re TRYING to get me to not ride the ride, Mom.”
Fair enough. I had to bite my tongue and let my kid make the decision on her own. Which meant putting the memory of her on Rock N Roller Coaster out of my head. You know, the one where she came off the vehicle bawling her eyes out and then writing about how scary it was in English class later that year.
But that was 2 years in the past and goodness knows a kid changes a lot in that stretch of time. I had to let it be.
The verdict?
She loved it. Landon got off, going, “I always forget how intense that ride is.”
Me too, bud. Me too.
I got off feeling every year of my age. I was battling some intense vertigo upon exiting the ride, and I thought to myself, “This is it. The year I have to stop doing coasters.”
Fortunately, as it turns out, I was overcoming some mild cold that I wasn’t aware of, and that was what was causing all my dizziness and allergy issues. How did I discover this? Through observation and knowledge of my body? Yeah, right…
The answer came days later. I’ll reveal that nugget of realization later on in the report.
For the moment, I was being led around by my son, whose newly acquired height was an asset. He let me lean my arm on his shoulder while I wallowed in self pity and listened to my youngest gloat over how “NOT SCARED AT ALL” she was.
I needed a Butterbeer.
Fortunately, Hogsmeade was close by, so we headed to the Three Broomsticks for dinner. On top of feeling dizzy, I was also getting a little antsy about the time. I really wanted us to be back in the room by 8 o’clock so we could get a long, solid night of sleep before our next big day, but I was realizing that goal was slipping away.
Time just flies by so fast in a theme park. You blink and an hour’s gone. Blink again and it’s well into dinnertime.
And was I understanding about this setback? Of course not. I was not my best self. Made worse by the cost to value ratio of our dinner.
I like Universal.
I dislike their food.
Except for at Epic. They are exempt from this rant.
Almost 9 dollars for a Butterbeer is really, really steep. And my dinner of two Cornish pasties, less than a dozen carrots and potato bites for 18 dollars after tax? Where I left still very hungry? Unacceptable.
Alex and I guessed that because it was getting close to the end of the night, the kitchen was trying to stretch their vegetables so they didn’t have to make more. While I understand that from a cost saving perspective, it does nothing for guest satisfaction.
Needless to say, between my mental schedule not going according to plan and my hunger and my unknown cold, I was grouchy. It was time to head out.
Hah!
That was a nice thought.
Would’ve worked, too, if my family wasn’t made up of Alex and Evie. Those two were desperate to step into their first store of the trip and check out all the merch.
First up was the How to Train Your Dragon pop up shop, where Evie asked if any of the Toothless shoulder plushes were available. She was told they were sold out park-wide since Memorial Day. (Nobody ever got them in stock.)
Then it was on to the main store near the exit.
Evie and Alex needed to know what was on offer in the original parks before they got to Epic. So they could plan their souvenir budget accordingly.
Eventually, the four of us made it back to the buses and returned to our room.
Time to tuck ourselves in and rest up!
(I thought all our glasses lined up for the night was cute.)
Up Next: Aren’t You Glad You Brought Your Uncle Along?
Our room at Stella Nova was ready as soon as we checked in. Alex requested a high floor, and we were granted the very top. (Floor 10.)
Time to see our temporary home!
The entire resort felt very clean and new. Since it had recently opened, there weren’t any signs of wear and tear, and all the specs were modern and efficient. So while it is very much a value hotel, it was a higher quality than one of the All Stars or Cabana Bay.
The room itself was small, but the high ceilings gave the illusion that it was larger than it actually was.
It had a couch on the opposite wall of the beds with a table, which created extra seating space and also a spot to hold backpacks. The closets in the room were big enough to store our 2 large suitcases, and there was an actual fridge in the cabinet! None of this beverage cooler nonsense.
The bathroom area was a little snug with only one sink, but it was well lit so that was a perk. We did have an awkward moment where the kids noticed the see-through glass partition put in place between the bed and bathroom.
“Mom!!! If you leave this curtain open and the bathroom door isn’t closed, you can see right into the shower!”
“What if one of us wants to step around the corner to change? We have to make sure that thing is closed!”
Ahem.Thanks, Universal. Nice perk for a couple’s retreat, mortification material for preteen kids.
I didn’t even mean to capture Evie’s disbelief until I looked back on my camera roll and found this:
What also helped with the room size was the massive window:
It let in a lot of light, and it provided us with a fantastic view of Helios and Epic Universe!
Our first glimpse into the new theme park. We could see most everything from our vantage point, and at night we were able to see the burning windmill. If we peered really hard to our left, we could also catch snippets of the nighttime drone show at Universal.
I spent some time unpacking our belongings and organizing everything we were going to need for the next few days. The second I pushed the soft-close drawer, signaling to everyone I was finished, the kids were rushing to the door. They were ready to get to a park!
With the Universal military tickets, they have to be activated in person at a ticket window, and Alex and I wanted to knock that out this evening. Not only so we could gain entry but also to prevent us having to worry about it on another morning.
The four of took a bus to Citywalk (it took about 25 minutes) and went through security. We were flying down the moving walkways. You can always spot who is at the beginning of their vacation versus who is at the end by their walking speed. No fatigue had hit us yet!
When we got near the ticketing area of the parks, I spotted a sign we needed.
There was an important question we had answer before going into the parks.
Was Evie tall enough to ride Velocicoaster?
She was! By a lot, too. So much that nobody measured her at the entrance.
*gulp*
Evie decided right before she left that if she could do it, she wanted to try the coaster. Alex wanted her to test it before going into Epic, because he figured how she handled Velocicoaster would determine if she tried Stardust Racers or not.
Alex got the tickets sorted while the kids and I hung out and tried not to sweat too much in the Florida heat.
I also reminded Evie that if, at any point, she wanted to bail on the coaster, she could.
“Even if we make it to the loading dock, you can pass it up and walk straight through the chairs to the exit. Nobody will get mad.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m just saying, it’s a really intense ride. I know you love Dinosaurs now, and all, but there are a lot of inversions.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I didn’t go on an upside down coaster until I was 13. Dad was 14. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Mom!”
“Okay, okay!”
With our tickets ready to use, you can guess where we were headed.
The wait for Velocicoaster was about 45 minutes, but the kids both insisted they wanted to wait for it.
This was the first time the kids had been in the queue since watching the films, and they got a kick out of all the Easter eggs in the rooms. The raptor animatronics were a huge hit with Evie. She knew exactly which ones were which, and Landon appreciated the video with Owen and Claire a lot more now.
It was by said video that Evie snapped at me: “It’s like you’re TRYING to get me to not ride the ride, Mom.”
Fair enough. I had to bite my tongue and let my kid make the decision on her own. Which meant putting the memory of her on Rock N Roller Coaster out of my head. You know, the one where she came off the vehicle bawling her eyes out and then writing about how scary it was in English class later that year.
But that was 2 years in the past and goodness knows a kid changes a lot in that stretch of time. I had to let it be.
The verdict?
She loved it. Landon got off, going, “I always forget how intense that ride is.”
Me too, bud. Me too.
I got off feeling every year of my age. I was battling some intense vertigo upon exiting the ride, and I thought to myself, “This is it. The year I have to stop doing coasters.”
Fortunately, as it turns out, I was overcoming some mild cold that I wasn’t aware of, and that was what was causing all my dizziness and allergy issues. How did I discover this? Through observation and knowledge of my body? Yeah, right…
The answer came days later. I’ll reveal that nugget of realization later on in the report.
For the moment, I was being led around by my son, whose newly acquired height was an asset. He let me lean my arm on his shoulder while I wallowed in self pity and listened to my youngest gloat over how “NOT SCARED AT ALL” she was.
I needed a Butterbeer.
Fortunately, Hogsmeade was close by, so we headed to the Three Broomsticks for dinner. On top of feeling dizzy, I was also getting a little antsy about the time. I really wanted us to be back in the room by 8 o’clock so we could get a long, solid night of sleep before our next big day, but I was realizing that goal was slipping away.
Time just flies by so fast in a theme park. You blink and an hour’s gone. Blink again and it’s well into dinnertime.
And was I understanding about this setback? Of course not. I was not my best self. Made worse by the cost to value ratio of our dinner.
I like Universal.
I dislike their food.
Except for at Epic. They are exempt from this rant.
Almost 9 dollars for a Butterbeer is really, really steep. And my dinner of two Cornish pasties, less than a dozen carrots and potato bites for 18 dollars after tax? Where I left still very hungry? Unacceptable.
Alex and I guessed that because it was getting close to the end of the night, the kitchen was trying to stretch their vegetables so they didn’t have to make more. While I understand that from a cost saving perspective, it does nothing for guest satisfaction.
Needless to say, between my mental schedule not going according to plan and my hunger and my unknown cold, I was grouchy. It was time to head out.
Hah!
That was a nice thought.
Would’ve worked, too, if my family wasn’t made up of Alex and Evie. Those two were desperate to step into their first store of the trip and check out all the merch.
First up was the How to Train Your Dragon pop up shop, where Evie asked if any of the Toothless shoulder plushes were available. She was told they were sold out park-wide since Memorial Day. (Nobody ever got them in stock.)
Then it was on to the main store near the exit.
Evie and Alex needed to know what was on offer in the original parks before they got to Epic. So they could plan their souvenir budget accordingly.
Eventually, the four of us made it back to the buses and returned to our room.
Time to tuck ourselves in and rest up!
(I thought all our glasses lined up for the night was cute.)
Up Next: Aren’t You Glad You Brought Your Uncle Along?
Dis_Yoda
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2008
- Messages
- 8,105
Such a long day considered you didn't know yet that you were sick. Our recent trip to Provence - my husband was sick for half of it with a head cold and I got it at the very end. It just drains you so much while you are trying to be chipper and happy for everyone else. Well - as best as you can be.
Stella Nova seems nice other than the bathroom situation. Although it can be fun to try to embarrass the pre-teens. Glad the coaster was a hit!
Stella Nova seems nice other than the bathroom situation. Although it can be fun to try to embarrass the pre-teens. Glad the coaster was a hit!
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