Trick or Tweet! The Lurkyloos Do F&W, etc: 11/8 Last Day at WDW!

[MEK]

Cool update. Great overview of all the attractions in IOA. Makes me feel content with the fact that I haven't been there since, say, 2004.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Honestly, your experience at US makes me feel better about having not made it there yet Even when I was living in Orlando, I never made it there, and now, the only thing I'd want to see would be WWOHP.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Yeah!! A Lurkyloo update. Enjoying your commentary on IOA. You defintely have a way with words that keeps me laughing.

Even though Universal is not Disney I still am looking forward to WWoHP. Can't wait to see your evening shots.

 

[Disneygrl36]

And your update made me glad we decided to skip the rest of IOA after finishing up WWoHP. There just isn't much that appeals to me & hearing about the lack of upkeep on the rides etc. I am even more underwhelmed.

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

YEAH!! UPDATE!!!

Though I'm not going to lie it has left me a little sad and not looking forward to US & IoA this coming December. Looks like it is a good thing we are spending time there first along with Seaworld before we head to the Boardwalk for the next week. I think I'll still have fun and all since well heck I've never been, but mom hates coasters and the kiddy rides I have a feeling would be to kiddy, but as long as WWoHP is the most amazing thing ever she will have a good time.

 

[lurkyloo]

I went to IOA once. It was in 2000. And it was the only time I went there. Guess you can see how I was impressed

This just proves to me that I am not missing too much by not going to Universal. I will just stick to WDW. But Patrick takes some fun pics!

One thing I noticed too was how many fewer pictures he took at IOA than at the Disney Parks. That says something right there.

Cool update. Great overview of all the attractions in IOA. Makes me feel content with the fact that I haven't been there since, say, 2004.

Oh good! Maybe one could even say I'm saving people money with this installment!

Honestly, your experience at US makes me feel better about having not made it there yet Even when I was living in Orlando, I never made it there, and now, the only thing I'd want to see would be WWOHP.

Wow, that speaks volumes—you were right down the street!

Yeah!! A Lurkyloo update. Enjoying your commentary on IOA. You defintely have a way with words that keeps me laughing.

Even though Universal is not Disney I still am looking forward to WWoHP. Can't wait to see your evening shots.

WWoHP is definitely amazing! It's just so incongruous with the rest of the park. Maybe it will start to leach into the rest of IOA the way Pixar is doing at DCA and eventually IOA will become an all-Harry Potter park!

And your update made me glad we decided to skip the rest of IOA after finishing up WWoHP. There just isn't much that appeals to me & hearing about the lack of upkeep on the rides etc. I am even more underwhelmed.

I was so surprised! I really thought we would like the place based on what everyone says, but I'm not seeing what they saw. Or maybe it's like the way Oscar voters jumped all over the first Shrek movie simply because it was something different from Disney....

YEAH!! UPDATE!!!

Though I'm not going to lie it has left me a little sad and not looking forward to US & IoA this coming July. Looks like it is a good thing we are spending time there first along with Seaworld before we head to the Boardwalk for the next week. I think I'll still have fun and all since well heck I've never been, but mom hates coasters and the kiddy rides I have a feeling would be to kiddy, but as long as WWoHP is the most amazing thing ever she will have a good time.

I bet you'll have a great time—WWoHP will make up for all the rest of the park's shortcomings, plus you're doing it in the right order by touring Disney last. End on a high note!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Universal just always seems underwhelming to me. Maybe because I compare it to Disney, but I just never have any desire to go there while at Disney.

I know kids really won't get the references, but I was a teensy bit excited to see older cartoons like Broom Hilda. She's definitely under-represented nowadays.

 

[lurkyloo]

Oh man, if you love Broom Hilda, you NEED to get to IOA right NOW!!! She's all over Toon Lagoon!

I've always felt the same way about Universal—why bother? Harry Potter was enough to get us there once, but I dunno if it's going to become a regular part of our WDW vacations... probably not...

 

[blabbermouth]

Patrick getting stabbed by wolverine (?) totally made me LOL, literally!

It does all seem to be just bright primary colours, huh. Looks like DCA But Disney realizes its a problem!

Great to have another update, always makes me at least giggle.

 

[lurkyloo]

That's funny—it does remind one of DCA! But DCA has come to terms with its problem and is now in a 12-step program. Meanwhile, IOA has its hands over its ears and is singing "La la la Broom Hilda la la Hagar the Horrible la la laaaaaa!"

 

[lurkyloo]

I put most of my commentary on Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the first part of this day's installment, so the rest will be mostly photos until we get to the part about dinner at one of Universal's resort restaurants.

One of the tips we got from JuLu was to go back to WWoHP for the last hour of park operation, and it was a good one. The crowds were lighter, we got to see what Hogsmeade looked like at night, and we were able to ride Forbidden Journey three times in a row! (This was really fun, but I think three's my tummy's limit.) And since the lines were nonexistent, we were able to take even MORE under-exposed photos of the ride…

 

[lurkyloo]

As we were nudged out at the end of the night, we saw them setting up for a private event. This is what the DIS Boards' December event in WWoHP would look like if they were actually going to feed us!

Seeing this cute chocolate frog display makes me sad that none of the candy we got from Honeydukes was any good. The packaging is fantastic, but the quality of the candy is crummy. You'd think that JK Rowling woulda been more particular about that, coming as she does from the land of Cadbury… I'd be willing to pay more for the stuff if it actually tasted good!

Here's the Butterbeer cart, which is to be avoided if you don't like to stand in line. Jensey says the drink tastes better outta the cart than inside the Hog's Head, though. If we do go to the DIS Boards event, I promise to try it at both places and report!

With a moustache like that, Patrick looks like he's about to tie a damsel to the tracks!

We snapped pictures all the way out of Islands of Adventure. Like Hollywood Studios, it's much more pleasant at night.

 

[lurkyloo]

"What do you mean you don't like my ride?!"

Well that's something you never see at Disney… a sale!

After we left the park, we headed for the boats to the various Universal resort hotels. Our destination was the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, where we had reservations at Emeril's Tchoup Chop, otherwise known as "Orlando's Most Needlessly Impossible-To-Spell Restaurant." I think to get the boat we had to cross the bridge back toward Universal CityWalk. I also think some running was involved when I saw that the boat was about to depart, and I think it turned out to be the wrong boat.

I picked Tchoup Chop for dinner because I liked the sound of its Asian fusion menu, and it looked gorgeous in photos. I'd never been to any of Emeril's restaurants, so I wasn't sure whether it'd be a sort of "in name only" experience, like Wolfgang Puck's, or actually display the discernable influence of the chef, like Todd English's bluezoo.

The décor was amazing—way more over-the-top exotic than any Disney Signature restaurant I can think of.

There's a pond running the length of the restaurant, and we got to sit right next to it.

Instead of bread you get these addictive shrimp chips with garlicky dipping sauce. We couldn't stop eating these.

 

[lurkyloo]

When we told our server we were going to each get a dish, eat half, and then switch, she said the kitchen could make us each a duo plate! So we each got half a portion of two entrees: "Mochi Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops with Thai Sticky Rice, Broccolini and Creamy Lobster-Infused Smoked Bacon-Corn Sauce" plus "Tender Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs on Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes with Hoisin-Honey-Infused Veal Jus." Say THAT 10 times fast!

(left) Mochi Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops with Thai Sticky Rice, Broccolini and Creamy Lobster-Infused Smoked Bacon-Corn Sauce and (right) Tender Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs on Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes with Hoisin-Honey-Infused Veal Jus

If there was really as much going on in each dish as its description claimed, most of the elements were canceling each other out. The sea scallops had that not-so-fresh metallic taste, and the short ribs were just sort of a bland, beefy mush. Boo!

For dessert I had the Coconut Baked Alaska because, hey, how often do you see Baked Alaska on a menu? It had a dense coconut cake and coconut ice cream under a pile of meringue with chocolate drizzled on top. Pretty dang tasty!

Coconut Baked Alaska

Patrick had a trio of sorbet flavors that I don't remember what they were… I'm gonna guess they were coconut, mango and lychee. I remember there was lychee. He liked them OK.

Sorbet trio

Overall, I guess I'd have to try Tchoup Chop at least once more to give it a fair shot, but it struck me as the kind of place that the celebrity chef slaps his name on, glances over the opening menu, and then forgets about.

After dinner we poked around the Royal Pacific Resort trying to get photos for PassPorter. Like the Polynesian, it has a South Seas theme, but they were definitely going for more of a refined, classy version. I have a sneaking suspicion that the rooms are not nearly as upscale as the public areas. This is the cheapest of the three resorts at Universal, and from what I've seen of the rooms at the most expensive resort, the décor is pretty generic and bland.

We had about a 15-minute wait for the boat back to Universal CityWalk with a group of stogie-smoking expense-account types and their token female co-worker, who was vainly pretending the smoke didn't bother her or, you know, everyone else at the dock.

Onward to the car!

Up Next: Running Around the Magic Kingdom with the Roots + Dinner With (OK, next to) the Staff of D23!

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Is it just me, or does it look like that statue's taking a leak? That's an interesting angle

Looks like the evening was fun!

 

[jedijill]

I had a great meal a few years ago at Tchoup Chop. I did the Chef's tasting menu and it was delicious. Sorry to hear your meal was less than fantastic. I do like Emeril's on the CityWalk as well...they had a great lunch menu.

Wonderful WWOHP reviews. I have a free ticket to Universal to use and I only want to see WWOHP!

Jill in CO

 

[beatlesblonde]

Great update Carrie! I'm looking forward to seeing WWoHP at night and getting some good pictures. I think DH and I are going to wing it as far as food when we go but I'm enjoying your reviews none the less.

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

I must say your captions are what seem to make your "trippies" so special...

I also must say this TR is going WAY too slow I have been waiting FOREVER it seems to hear about MNSSHP and these AMAZING looking costumes... get crackin' I say

 

[burly]

Lurkyloo, we have stayed at the RPR and i can tell you that the rooms that we have stayed in have been spotlessly clean, with a Polynesian/Asian inspired look. And the beds themselves ARE A DREAM to sleep in. And they have the REAL coffe in the rooms in those individual little things, for those that Need that sort of thing. Also loved the front of the line access that the room gives you.....

Just my 2cents.


KIM

 

[Princess_K]

WWOHP looks so pretty at night! I would love to get over there just once to see it!