WHO YA GONNA CALL" 29 NIGHTS OF GHOSTBUSTERS, MONSTERS & MORE - A 2019 HHN/SFR/RPR TR

[schumigirl]

What great photos, Carole (and Tom!) It all looks so wonderful. I can't wait to see it in a few short months.

That was a great tip about using the lockers nearer the back of the room. I will definitely keep that in mind when we ride the Gringotts ride! I'm also really looking forward to buying some Gringotts money! I had no idea that was an option. Another fun trip to come from your trip report!

Have you ever considered writing a book, Carole? You have such a knack for interesting tidbits and tips that don't seem to appear anywhere else. There are so many of that type of book for Disney vacations but far fewer for Universal. Truly - consider it!



How disappointing to have TWO in TWO days. And unusual, too!

Thank you, I’m so glad you like the pics......and yes, it won’t be too long till you’re there to see it all for yourself! I honestly can’t wait to hear your impressions of everything!

And thank you for your kind comments......I do write, mainly for fun, but I do some paid work for certain organisations. Just a little though......and very boring stuff usually.

Maybe one day I’ll write a book about Universal.....although there already is some fabulous info out there......but I appreciate the sentiment.....

lol......yes, we seemed to be on a run, thankfully a short run of negative dining experiences.......

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I didn't realize there were so many construction walls...I guess it's the season. It will be interesting to see if/how that changes for your next visit.

I think we will be skipping Big Fire. I had heard someone else online say the food was quite smoky, so having that confirmed makes me certain it's not for us. And since I'm just freestyling questions -- I don't think I've ever seen you eat at Toothsome, so I'm guessing that's also got a poor reputation. As much as Kyle enjoys chocolate, you would eat there if it was any good!

 

[schumigirl]

I didn't realize there were so many construction walls...I guess it's the season. It will be interesting to see if/how that changes for your next visit.

I think we will be skipping Big Fire. I had heard someone else online say the food was quite smoky, so having that confirmed makes me certain it's not for us. And since I'm just freestyling questions -- I don't think I've ever seen you eat at Toothsome, so I'm guessing that's also got a poor reputation. As much as Kyle enjoys chocolate, you would eat there if it was any good!

Yes, the update was long overdue in the lobby, but, it didn’t impact us in any way....we still got to enjoy Sushi so we were happy!!!

We did try Toothsome once......once was enough. it just didn’t impress us at all. My food wasn’t great and couldn’t finish it. It was the Totchos and after a few minutes, it just congealed altogether on the plate.....didn’t have much taste either, so I only ate a few bites. Waitress asked if I wanted it boxed to go, I told her it was inedible and she just took the plate away and left the check......

Tom had a burger which he enjoyed, but it’s hard to muck up a burger and he said he enjoyed the burgers at Cowfish and NBC much more. We’re not huge on dessert so those have never appealed to us much. The theme is good though and I’d certainly recommend a wander around the store if you were passing. But, many folks do seem to enjoy it.

I keep saying we should give it another try, then someone I know mentions they had a bad experience and I change my mind again......lol.......

 

[schumigirl]

Edit.

 

[keishashadow]

absolutely thrilled that U hasn’t cut back on live pop up entertainment ala disney

Yet another pic of an area I haven’t noticed, near the restroom.

If you do write a book re your U experiences, pretty sure you more than enough material to make it a tell-all, vs a travel type guide. make sure to change the names to protect the not-so-innocent hahahahaha.

I‘ve never bought the wood wick candles, I’ve seen them when online for YC but was never sure what they’d be like......will give them a try next time I’m candle shopping...

The mr not as fond, the crackling puts him off for some reason. I find it handy to remind me to put them out

I think they were overwhelmed by the amount of magical dining meals requested and thought, oh just give her that.......I’d have preferred them just to say I’m sorry it’ll be another few minutes.......but.....Tom enjoyed his....lol.....but we did feel the service lacked something that night.

Still, no excuse for what you experienced. Most of the MD meal choices are limited options vs the full menus. A good manager would make sure the venue is staffed adequately as to reservations

There was a thread on the Disney side where people used them for heating hot dogs and oatmeal...... I do check the iron hasn’t been used as a grill for grilled cheese sandwiches.......and I’ve never used the ice bucket again!!!

Hahahaha that was a crazy thread

Uh oh ... I've never heard of this until now! I've used coffee pots before!! Now I wonder if they'd been used for hot dogs! lol - hopefully that's the worst?!!?

Nope, there’s two videos out there that top it. One of housekeeping using a dirty cleaning rag to wipe out a coffee cup (believe at CR?). 2nd was a woman touting that the coffee maker was perfect place to wash out...trying to be delicate & not ‘soil’ carole’s Thread ...ladies’ unmentionables.

 

[schumigirl]

Lol......the not so innocent.......that’s a good way to describe some

Yes, the entertainment around the parks is fun.......there’s a good variety around the place.......

I think OP we’re out of their depths that night......we’ve seen it incredibly busy, but, we’ve never waited that length of time nor had such bad service. I’m sure next time it’ll be fine.

Oh I remember reading that thread and others that were similar with my moth wide open in amazement!!! There‘s saving a buck and then there’s those people!!! I did see the housekeeper and the glasses but missed the coffee pot one!!! And you’re fine.....you didn’t “soil” the thread.......you have a great way with words.......

Glad you’re still reading along........

 

[AussieBritTraveller]

We are loving this report as always, you have such a wonderful way of telling your story Carol

We have club level next time so really looking forward to experiencing this

I love ceviche in Strongwater tavern, Rob hates it! We did love it in there though

Looking forward to reading more, you are keeping the orlando dream alive for us!

 

[schumigirl]

We are loving this report as always, you have such a wonderful way of telling your story Carol

We have club level next time so really looking forward to experiencing this

I love ceviche in Strongwater tavern, Rob hates it! We did love it in there though

Looking forward to reading more, you are keeping the orlando dream alive for us!

Thanks Matt........glad to hear you have Club Level next year......you’ll love it....staff are wonderful and so helpful and friendly.

Rob doesn’t like the ceviche........ and he has such good taste in everything else........ Yes, Strong Water is by far, our favourite bar anywhere!

And thank you I‘m so glad you guys are enjoying it.......more coming up tomorrow.....

 

[schumigirl]

When we came out of Potter it was chucking it down, I mean really heavy.....I came up with the bright idea of just eating in Lombards as it was right across the street, we wouldn`t get too drenched going over there. I hate being soaked and it was strangely cold when it was raining today...…and of course I detest the cold!!!

The foyer in here is lovely, it`s very ornate and quite unexpected to be found in a theme park....but it is nice. I head to the bathroom and ask Tom to ask for a table by the window if possible.

The rain has got heavier now but we could see there were blue skies creeping through, by the time we finished lunch it would be dry hopefully.

The young lady on the check in desk had said she would see if it was possible to seat as close as possible to the window.......I looked in the restaurant and it was empty, save for two people sat over the far side of the room.......well, ok then. I have to say she wasn`t the friendliest...…so we sat back down and waited to be escorted through.

Another young lady came through to take us to a table and she sat us at a table that couldn`t be further from the window unless I was sitting in the bathroom!!! Tom asked her if we could sit by the window, she said a little flustered she would have to go ask...….Tom said we had already asked.....she blushed bright red and didn't know quite what to say, so we said it was fine and sat down by the fish tank in the middle....I hate fish...…..

And as you can see, it`s deserted...….

Our waitress came over and we had had her before......she is quite abrupt, not rude, but not overly friendly......until the check came!!! So, she asked us what we would like to drink, I asked for Fanta and Tom said lemonade...….she rolled her eyes and said they had a good choice of cocktails and beers, we said no thank you and she left the table without a word...….it wasn't the friendliest of experiences...….I don't need waiters and waitresses to fawn, but a nice friendly nature would be nice. I felt annoyed and wanted to leave just then, but I know Tom likes it in here, so I kept my yap shut. Not like me...….

She came back with bread and dropped the drinks off...….

A few seconds later they brought in two separate sets of people, one set of two and sat them by the window......I said to Tom we maybe didn't smile right to the girl as we came in...….

Our waitress went over to take care of them too, so it`s not as though those sections were being covered by someone new...….I know it`s not a major issue but it was niggly. Gosh, I hate writing bad reviews......but warts and all.

We had ordered our food now, and I looked up and saw the waitress gesture over to us and say something, and the other person looked over to us from behind a door......so, I was done.

Tom told her we were leaving and please cancel our order. She didn't even ask why.

The whole experience since we walked in there was nothing short of unpleasant. And again, yes we should have complained to the manager.....but we didn't. I made up my mind then and there to never let these things go again......

Tom said it reminded him of the time we didn't complain about something that happened to us years ago......and someone at the hotel listened to the event and shook her and smiled and made the comment.....

She was actually a little more graphic, but this is the family friendly version...….

We decided there and then we`d go back home, get the car keys and go to the Ale House on Kirkman. Even Tom was hungry now!

Being Saturday afternoon.....it was busy, but we did manage to get a booth.....usually we`d sit at the bar, but it was almost full. This was much friendlier and no issues in ordering fanta and strawberry lemonade.....

This is a fabulous Ale House. We much prefer this one to any of the others as this one isn`t as touristy.......I know, I get the irony. But there some tourists here of course, but it feels more local. Even though we aren't the biggest sports fans, we love it in here.

I ordered the big red sandwich with the second hottest sauce they do, Tom went for the mahi mahi entrée.....we were looking forward to this now.....and both hungry. We discussed Lombards and had no idea why it had been such a negative experience. But, we won`t go back for a while now. That`s kind of what we do if we have more than one negative experience......but this place has always been fabulous!!!

And I can`t believe we forgot to take any pictures of the food...…..when the food arrived we were so hungry, we just tucked in......and almost at our last mouthful we both realised……..oops!!!!!

The food was gorgeous...….and service here is always amazing.....they are friendly and super attentive....and prices here are so cheap for what you get!!! Super cheap meal......

We pay the check, and decide it`s not worth going somewhere for the rest of the afternoon as it`s around 3pm now....so head to Publix for a few things, then we head back home and in the lobby we speak to one of the concierge supervisors who we haven't seen much of this trip so far...she is lovely, well, they all are of course. We chat for a while and then head up to the room where we put the purchases away and Tom has a 20 minute snooze while I go shower, change and sit on the ipad for half an hour while Tom gets showered and changed.

We had decided to go to Strong Water for dinner tonight, so we head up to the lounge where we can both enjoy a couple of glasses of wine tonight.

American night is one we do like to have a little sample of, the potato salad is delicious and so is the chicken mc n cheese...….but we are still so full from lunch, we couldn't fit anything else in.

It is so nice sitting up here, and not too busy....there are a few more folks who are obviously here for HHN, which we aren`t going to tonight. We generally avoid Saturdays even this early on in the event.

Eventually around 7.30 we walk over to Sapphire Falls and make our regular walk from one hotel to the other, all inside so it`s nice and cool all the way.

Strong Water isn`t too busy tonight, and it is always lovely to see everyone again........we get a table at one of Brittney`s tables over on the far side of the bar......she is so lovely.....well, they all are again. This really is one of the most welcoming of bars around and everyone is made to feel the same way.

I stick to wine tonight and Tom orders a beer for a change...….when she brings the drinks over one of the other waitresses says she`s never seen me drink wine????? And asks me the worst question ever...…..

What do you prefer...….red, white or rum...…….

​

She just laughs and says she understands......I`m never certain which I would choose if I was told I could only drink either red or white the rest of my life......add in rum to the question and my head would explode!!!!

At that point Chef Carlos come out to say hello, what a lovely man he is and his creations in here are legendary......and they are his creations, we haven't found a dish yet we haven't liked. He always pops out to say hello when we come in which is nice and as he is always busy he`s rushing off back to the kitchen again....just as Fernando comes over to welcome us in. He is a star. So very genuine and takes good care of his staff and wants all guests to have an amazing visit......such a lovely man and we always enjoy chatting to him and spending time with him.

Brittney comes back to see what we have decided to order, and we thought to look and see something we hadn't ordered yet, of which there wasn't much...….I spot the lamb meatballs and Tom orders the Hassleback potato...….we love meatballs, but I always make mine by grinding down beef and never use lamb, although I do love lamb....so I hoped I`d like them.....I was sure I would. I said to Brittney we`d order something else later...….she said maybe wait as Chef was sending us out a new dish to try, it was going on the menu soon and was interested in what we thought...….

We are always delighted to try out any dish Chef comes up with...

The meatballs arrived with the potato and the potato was served with a thing I forget the name, it tasted like pork but was a fruit or something????? It was delicious...…..and the meatballs were divine. They came with a beautiful sauce and sour cream on the bottom which went together perfectly...…..we were glad we ordered these dishes......

Not long after, Chef brought out the new dish and explained it was like nachos but with thin pancake and andouille sausage with a sunny side up egg on top.......

It was delicious........Tom liked it more than I did as I found it too much, but maybe because we had already eaten lunch later and had the meatballs, but he loved it.......I completely forget the name he told us, but I believe it is on the menu now.

I saw Lenny at the bar and as I passed from coming back from the bathroom waved and he came out from behind immediately.....he gives the best hugs!!! It`s always so nice to see him, he`s lovely and so funny....and makes the best cocktails!!!! He began telling me about the ones he was making right now and I said they sounded lovely, I said Tom was over by the window, so he said he`d be over in a little second......

We got our next drink and Lenny came over and sat down with the three syrups...…one was a mango rum, a lime rum and my favourite, pineapple jalapeno....oh my goodness, he is a genius!!! They were delicious and he makes them all himself in house right here. Very clever. We had such a fun chat with him and could have sat all night just chatting...…...but eventually he went back to the bar and Brittney came back over to say Chef was sending out one of his brand new desserts that was his latest creation.….now I was looking forward to dessert!!! We usually order the tres leche cake, but this sounded beautiful when he brought it out.

He explained it was a warm banana and butterscotch cake with butterscotch ice cream and pecans...…..

Oh my goodness!!!! It was delicious!!! I`m not the biggest fan of banana but this was beautiful.....very light cake and you could taste the butterscotch clearly......and the ice cream...…..oh my!!!! This was a dessert we would both order again once it`s on the menu...…..

Aarron and Fernando came over to see how we enjoyed the dessert.....I think the big smile and completely empty plate told the whole story!!!!

Fernando got talking about ice cream and I mentioned how much I loved Chef`s Pina Colada ice cream and he asked if I had tried his sour sop ice cream.....I said we hadn't heard of such a thing......so he said he`d go get us a taste as it was beautiful...….

And my goodness......what a flavour!!!! It was like a mixture of strawberry and mango......beautiful.

We made sure to pass on our thanks to Chef for some beautiful new dishes tonight, we were very appreciative to be testers for any new dish!!!! And they had been lovely.

It was late now and we couldn't believe how fast the evening had gone....we had eaten some lovely food and had some lovely chats too......a perfect evening.

We paid the check and began to say goodnight to everyone...….then headed for the walk back to RP......this is always where we wish we had a room at Sapphire....it`s not a long walk, but it was after midnight, maybe nearer 1am and I now just wanted to sleep!!!! Those hard benches laid along the conference area began to look appealing as we passed them...…..

Into our room there was no tv tonight....it was straight to bed after some water...….and I swear I fell asleep before I even got fully into bed......


Tomorrow was Mount Dora and HHN!!!!

 

[JaxDad]

I think they meant sour sop not supersop. It's a tropical fruit also called guanabana. It's awesome! I've had it by itself and as a smoothie. When I lived in south Florida, I would get it from a great fruit stand called Robert is Here...
https://www.robertishere.com/products/guanabana-sour-sop

 

[schumigirl]

I think they meant sour sop not supersop. It's a tropical fruit also called guanabana. It's awesome! I've had it by itself and as a smoothie. When I lived in south Florida, I would get it from a great fruit stand called Robert is Here...
https://www.robertishere.com/products/guanabana-sour-sop

lol....that's it....autocorrect changed what I typed and I hadn't noticed!!! I`ll go correct it back!!!

It kind of looks like it`s an avocado and I`ve never seen one before. But yes, it was delicious......

Thanks for pointing that out.......I`ve corrected it now......

 

[JaxDad]

lol....that's it....autocorrect changed what I typed and I hadn't noticed!!! I`ll go correct it back!!!

It kind of looks like it`s an avocado and I`ve never seen one before. But yes, it was delicious......

Thanks for pointing that out.......I`ve corrected it now......

No problem! I hadn’t thought of sour sop in a long time. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it!

 

[J'aime Paris]

All those dishes look divine!!
I'm a banana fan, so I hope the new dessert is on the menu by December.
Also, I've never tried lamb before...but the meatballs look tempting!

 

[schumigirl]

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH​

We did sleep a little later this morning after our kind of late night for us......we aren't really night owls ever, we`re more morning folks.....but, even so, we didn`t plan to waste any time here, so I was up as soon as I woke, which was around 7.30ish.......Tom was strangely awake too....we did think we`d sleep much later today......it isn`t easy getting out of these incredibly comfy beds I have to say!!!

But, we got up and wondered if we should go to New Smyrna Beach today as it wasn't to be as sunny as we thought........

However, we`d decide after breakfast as usual. Once we were dressed it was the usual sun screen and then head upstairs for food.

The lounge was fairly quiet, I think all the HHN folks were still sleeping, so we pottered around and got our coffee and water and enjoyed a little selection of items for breakfast. The little mini muffins are lovely, and the continental meats had some nice little options too. You really do get a good set of choices for breakfast in here if you did decide to choose Club Level.

Looking at the weather, we decided to go to Mount Dora, especially as we remembered they had a little market on a Sunday....it wasn`t a huge affair like Lake Eola in Orlando, but they had some nice little stalls and we always enjoyed a walk around the town and the lake too. So, we went down and got the car, it felt very hot today, we had thought it was cooling slightly but apparently not today.

It takes us around 40 minutes to get to Mount Dora, and one thing is there are loads of places to park. We use a little car park right in the centre of town and it`s handy for everything.....you can park in the street too easily.

Mount Dora really is old town America...….or at least my vision of it anyway...….beautiful buildings and homes that always look so welcoming....unique little stores that are always so friendly and we enjoy a visit here a lot.

The little market is in full swing as we arrive, and it`s not too busy, it has a gentle feel and plenty of variety with stalls.

Not really a fan of fish dips, but we did sample one from here and it was lovely.....not lovely enough to want to buy it.....but nice......

I am envious of the size of fruit and veg you get in the USA...….this avocado impressed me no end!!! We don't get them that large......and so cheap too.

It`s the same with a lot of produce...…..everything is much larger and so much cheaper too......one of the things we love Farmers Markets for.

We headed down to the water and for our usual stroll out to the end and have a seat watching the water and everything on it......but today the end of the walkway was blocked off........so we made do up this end today.

It is always so peaceful here. And a completely different environment form the parks or bigger towns......I could live here easily......and it`s really not that far from where the majority of tourists spend most of their time.

We always spend some time chatting to the guy who runs the boat tour.....he`s long giving up trying to convince us to go out on one of the tours......er, no thanks...….there`s alligators in that water!!! And it`s not that deep!!! But, he`s such a nice man with a great knowledge of all the different wildlife you can encounter here......I`m not a big fan of those types of wildlife......

We soon head back up to the town and wander a little further into the other side of the market.......

I was tempted by Jumbo Shrimp.....but, maybe not...….we don`t make any purchases here and head up to the actual store area of the town now.

It`s even quiet and peaceful up here too......I always feel as though we should whisper as we walk through this little town.

Before going for lunch, we head into the little store we like a lot. It sells spices, herbs and teas.....very unusual products.....and a joy to walk into and smell the aromas of all the products on sale......it is an assault on your senses as you pick up the delicate aromas of the spices first then the milder ones.......beautiful store.

We did purchase a couple of jars in here.....one is called Florida Sunshine and it`s a mix of peppers and scented spices......and it is gorgeous.....we use it now and it does take us back a little to this place when you smell it.

It was boiling hot now......and not a breath of air to help take away some of the oppressive heat, and it was now after midday so there was no escaping the midday sun either.

Usually we try and alter where we eat when we visit here, but we had so enjoyed our last visit, Tom wanted to try it again.....so we went back down to the Frog and Monkey, a real old style pub that served lovely food.

We again, got a lovely welcome and she said to sit where we liked.....we chose the same table as last time...…we are kind of creatures of habit at times!!!

The menu is a nice one, and after we ordered a sprite each, Tom chose a half size meat flatbread, and I went for a turkey and brie wrap. I had thought of the burger again, but they are huge......so this wasn`t just as filling as that had been.

They were both delicious....….Tom`s flatbread was crisp and fresh with plenty of toppings, and he was glad he went for the half size as it was very large. My wrap was lovely, the turkey was buttery and plentiful and the brie was a delight. I`d have loved some cranberry sauce in there too, but never thought of asking if they had any......that`s one of my favourite grilled sandwiches ever!!

It`s a lovely place to eat....and it got steadily busier as we ate too.....I`m not surprised, it has everything you could ask for in a pub that serves food.

We pay the check, visit the restroom and head back upstairs........and outside.......it was 96F today. And it felt hotter.

Our next stop was the Mount Dora Olive Oil company.....our favourite store in this little town. We often stock up here and we had almost run out so a visit here was essential.

You are spoilt for choice with flavours of oils and balsamics…...I tend to buy the chipotle olive oil which I use for lots of dishes, mainly for tossing potatoes in before lightly roasting them off.....it gives a hint of spice without being too overpowering. I don't eat salad now, so I do miss it on that. We also don't bother buying the balsamic vinegars now either, except maybe the little gift packs for friends that will double up to go in with their Christmas gifts......

Not pictured here is the smoked maple syrup they sell. we had purchased them before...….this, I do use a lot of in many dishes...…it`s perfect for a bbq sauce I make with Jack Daniels...….so I do manage to complete my shopping list of items here today. Although we don`t buy as much olive oil as we usually do, as we have made a few purchases already and plan some more...…and we`ll hopefully be back in December when we`ll have three suitcases instead of two.

We cross the road and into the car park and the outside temp is showing as 110F.......lol...…it soon goes down when we start moving to a mere 99F!!!!

Tom drives back today as I drove up, and I do like being a passenger when we drive in areas like this...….and I`m always impressed by the old Pan-Am plane in the museum. Certainly a relic of a bygone age of air travel we`ll never see again...….

I`d love if air travel were still like this!!!!

​

Wishful thinking at it`s best.

The drive back is uneventful and we are home before we know it.....and head straight upstairs where the sky looks more than a little ominous......

It did indeed rain. And heavy too. I`m quite sad really.....I love to watch all the heavy downpours we have over here......I`m telling Tom how heavy it is and how dark the sky is when I realise he is already snoozing

Not a bad idea, so I do the same till it`s time to change for the lounge and then HHN.

A little half hour does us the world of good!!!!

The lounge is again not too busy, but there are a load of people who have eaten and are now heading out to the park ready for HHN......I got chatting to one and asked why didn`t they do Stay & Scream when they said they had been in the park earlier.....they didn`t know about it......and this was their one and only night. What a shame. I did encourage them to purchase EP if it got busy and they said up until 3 weeks ago they thought the hotel EP was good for HHN too!!!!!!

This was quite common apparently, or so I`d heard from TM and our SA friends alike......some assume they are linked......big mistake!!!

I did feel a little sorry for them, first timers really need to research everything!!!! She asked me if they`d really need EP as it was a Sunday....I told them to wait and see how the lines were.....some nights weren`t as manic, but some were heaving. She thanked us for the info and they set off to line up at the gate.......I did hope they enjoyed it!!!!

We sat down and were immediately brought a glass of wine each......how lovely.......and we sat back and relaxed for a while.

Tonight`s hot appetiser choice was Orange Chicken and the usual assortment of side dishes......I do love olives, so I did have a few with my wine.......Tom had some cheese with crackers and enjoyed that as it wasn`t very much.

I did have a few bites of the Orange Chicken too, but again, only a couple as we were eating dinner later tonight. It is very nice....especially if you add some hot sauce too!!!

Kayla was working tonight, so we had a good chat to her which passed time before we left, and again it did go quickly.....we could sit and chat to Kayla and all the staff really all night.

We again realised Tom forgot to put on his Jack teeshirt.......and first of the day selfies.......

Next up.......HHN & Dinner.

 

[schumigirl]

No problem! I hadn’t thought of sour sop in a long time. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it!

I`d definitely look out for one next time we are wandering around Florida.....they were delicious and not something we can get in the UK as far as I know.....

 

[schumigirl]

All those dishes look divine!!
I'm a banana fan, so I hope the new dessert is on the menu by December.
Also, I've never tried lamb before...but the meatballs look tempting!

Lori, they were delicious!!

You`ve never tried lamb either......so many folks say that when we`re in America.

It`s got to be cooked right or it can be a little greasy, good lamb shouldn't be though. We tend to buy either a whole leg and slow roast it forever, or lamb leg steaks, or a rack of lamb which both cook fairly quickly and it`s got to be pink!!

But, the lamb meatballs...….yum!!!! Yes, I hope the dessert is on and you can enjoy it too!!!

 

[jocelyn6]

Happy Birthday!! What lovely surprises for you - sounds like it was a fabulous day!

 

[schumigirl]

Happy Birthday!! What lovely surprises for you - sounds like it was a fabulous day!

Thanks so much Jocelyn.......it was lovely, and so many little personal touches that meant a lot. With the balloons.......lol......well, I love balloons!! Doesn’t take much to make me happy.......

 

[schumigirl]

We left to get the boat, and everyone was commenting on how blisteringly hot it was again tonight.......there was no breeze at all, and it did feel incredibly humid......but it was lovely all the same, the light at this time of day is incredibly beautiful. .

Chatting to folks in line is always nice, and you meet some folks from unusual places at times.....tonight though we chatted to a few locals and one man stood behind us heard our accent and joined in the conversation...he had visited Scotland earlier in the year and decided we would know everywhere he had visited......we did know a few places, but not well.....but it`s funny his perception was because Scotland is quite small compared to the USA we must know everywhere. I know tourists probably see more of my country than I have in the past! But, they were a nice family......

We did wait around 10 minutes for a boat tonight, but when it did come, there were two, so everyone waiting would get on. And again, there was a fabulous captain who sang all the way to Citywalk…..and most folks joined in!!

The hotel guest entrance was again, quiet tonight so it was straight in and into the fun quickly...….

I still don`t really get the zone here....I do understand the concept, but it could have been so much better.

Tonight, Ghostbusters had an advertised wait of 50 minutes, and the line didn`t look too bad at all.....we walked straight into the house and didn`t even stop except to have the EP scanned.

We hit it lucky with the houses we did tonight, timing wise we only missed one of the Ghostbusters and didn`t see Zuul say Die......but apart from that, it was a good experience tonight.....so much fun, although again, some of the teen girls need to scream less when there`s nothing to scream for......

Yeti showed a 60 minute wait, I think with the walk included we were in the house in a few minutes......this was excellent tonight. The Yeti`s had perfected their timings and actions, and the old grizzly hunter was terrifyingly on point with his scares! This may have been our favourite house tonight......

It was boiling hot, and already I felt I wanted another shower......we had thought we wouldn`t stay long tonight, and only do the front half of the park, I was glad we weren't going to be here all night.

It was still light at this point and we decided to try US again tonight.....regular line was 65 minutes and it looked longer. This was another win for EP.....a complete walk on.......and the house was fun, a lot of fun tonight. They had extra SA in place and the effects were downright eerie.....if you caught the scares right in this house, it was excellent. If you missed certain SA in certain positions, it may not have been as good. But, tonight took this house a little higher on our 10/10 list as it had improved massively.

Stranger Things hadn't worked at all for us. And we thought the EP line might have a little wait as it was 80 minutes for the regular line.....as we didn't really like it anyway, we gave it a pass tonight. It really was too hot to wait anywhere.......

We did go on the Mummy tonight.....it`s not usual for us to do rides during the event, but it was cool in there......and it wasn`t too busy at all. There were only around seven of us on the ride vehicle and no screamers!!!! Lots of fun! And we cooled down slightly......

We walked around the zone, paying attention to all the different SA, I couldn`t remember where the guy we know who is a SA was working this year, I thought it was this zone, Tom thought it was Hellbilly....turns out he was in neither.....lol....of course!!!

It`s not scary, but the make up and demeanour of the SA`s is always phenomenal to watch......true professionals who love what they do. But, there was a marked decrease in street SA this year.

I love the lighting effects around the park, and so much to picture.....and the atmosphere is always one of fun. In all our visits we have never seen any trouble....I`m not saying there isn`t ever any trouble, we just haven`t seen any. Most people are just there to have fun and enjoy their evening.

I said to Tom....I`m hot and tired........and we immediately found a bench.......

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Thankfully there are plenty of benches and seating around the parks, and even a hard wooden bench was pleasant tonight. So we took five minutes.......it`s always nice to just chill out for a while, and watch everything going on around you.....

The Hellbilly zone was hilarious........we really enjoyed this zone tonight......

The living dead girl was different tonight, and she was still good....but not as glazed as the other girl. Watching them was fun though and the guy was a hoot!!!! He interacted well with the crowd along side working the act well.

Tom even got a huge scare tonight.....well, huge for me, not so much for him.....but he was taking a picture of me, and one of the taller SA stood right behind him......so when he turned around...…..lol.....he did jump back about a foot!!!! It was nice to see him finally get a good scare when he didn't expect it!!!! I did high five the SA and said well done......it`s not often he gets caught like that.

I have no clue about this guy below.............what was he and why was he there???

I know he was a fun dance partner......nope, no pictures of that!!!!

I asked this lady if I could take Tom`s picture in front of her....she gestured absolutely, it was fine...….I always like to ask......

We began to head to the front of the park, but did it a little backwards for some reason...….

First we did wander into the store near Transformers....it has a plethora of memorabilia from different genres and so many items I wanted to purchase!!!!

Jaws tee shirts always remind me of a guy who used to post here called Mad Hattered.....he was a nice guy.....I miss his posts, we met him and his wife a couple of times, nice couple. But, he was a huge Jaws and Halloween fan.......

We have a room where we watch the big screen for movies and such and I didn`t have movie themed items around the room and walls, so I purchased a few of these to put up.......I love the classic monster movies and they are still watchable today, and better than some of the movies offered today!!!!

I do have them up now and they look great framed and on the wall.......

Yes, I had to get this one too!

We came back along to have a wander round the first zone again, and we did like this a little tonight......some of the actors were good at posing for pictures. But, it still wasn't my favourite zone.

Killer Klowns was one we decided to do last minute....and again, no line at all for EP. so straight on and we really liked this house tonight......we did get a lot of giggles and a few scares. Although the girl in front of me was hilarious.......after we came out her boyfriend looked back and told us she was scared of clowns........lol.......she didn`t scream much, but had a vacantly terrified look for most of the house!!! I was glad we had seen her as she added to the fun......and she was smiling when she came out.

A quick wander round to the Vanity Ball.........

It is visually ok, and the SA again make it what it is......not many roaming around tonight though, maybe we were just unlucky, but the ones on stage were a complete riot. Very adult in their dialogue and very funny too!

It had been fun. But, again seeing so many kids is off-putting.......some SA do change their ways when they are around. We would love if they did put a minimum age limit for next years event and amp up the scare factor!!!! Please!!!!

We did like the pop up bars around the place......I`d much rather buy a drink from there than the official HHN cocktail.

Although it was a little late, we decided to go to Cowfish for some food...…and rather than wait for a table, we again went to sit in the bar which we do like. On the way out though we were met by a sea of people heading in to HHN.......I was glad we weren`t just going in.

Cowfish is a place we do like.

Only for burgers though. The sushi isn`t great and completely bland compared to real sushi places. It`s not somewhere I`d ever recommend for sushi to anyone who hasn`t tried it yet. But, we do like their burgers.

My drink of choice tonight is the mango ginger, with rum instead of tequila which is beautiful, and full of ginger so Tom won`t touch it.......he ordered the nice and rosy which had bourbon, blackberry brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice and simple syrup.......it was lovely too.

And we drank copious amounts of water!!!

Food wise Tom really wanted one particular burger, the Dynamic Duo....alongside the burger it had braised short rib, roasted garlic, provolone cheese, tomato onion jam and the usual salad in an onion bun.......he loved it!!!!

As it was a little late, I decided not to have my usual burger, but instead I went for the appetiser of spicy togarashi shrimp.

It was more than enough, and delicious.

We had two drinks and we had a good barman tonight, who kept the banter going with everyone who came to sit at the bar tonight......we were glad we had came in here.

Once we paid the check, we headed back out to Citywalk, Tom had said did we want to walk around for a while, but I was tired. I think the heat had an effect this trip, not enough to stop us doing anything, but we did feel this September hotter than before.

I thought we had walked back tonight, but looking back my notes, seems we did get the boat. I do know when we got back in the room it was later than we had thought we might get back home.....so much for an early night.


Park day again tomorrow........

 

[shh]

some of the teen girls need to scream less when there`s nothing to scream for......

right? Scream your lungs out if there's a real scare or on a roller coaster thrill ride. But some people are ridiculous about it. There's a ride at Disney I love called Soarin' and it's supposed to be uplifting and relaxing...it's not a scare or thrill ride. We were on once with several teen girls and they screamed literally at the top of their lungs from start to finish - didn't stop for a second. Totally drowned out the music and ruined the ride. I had a huge headache and my ears were ringing, as they were right next to us. I wouldn't have cared so much - except we waited an hour to get on it.