Disney Sept 30/2014

So P and I caught a shuttle to Disneyworld today and Hollywood Studios was our destination.  Our longest line was Toy Story Mania (and all the Fastpasses were taken for it, so we toughed out a standby line)  It was posted as 55 minutes, but in fact only took 25 minutes.  The picture of Mr. Potato Head is party of the waiting area that provides interactive entertainment!

We visited Star Tours, the Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster (twice) and the Hollywood Tower of Terror.

Lunch was at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.  Peter had fried chicken and I had pot roast - delicious!  It showered a bit while we were eating lunch.  While watching the Indiana Jones Spectacular (stunt show) it began to rain in earnest!  We were better prepared today.  I had a raincoat; we both were wearing sandals (P's runners still haven't dried out from yesterday's downpour).

P did me a favour and watched the Beauty and the Beast Musical with me.  It was partly due to the fact that we organized a 4 pm return shuttle and the timing worked out to see it.  (Toy Story's standby entrance was 75 minutes long and we only had 60 minutes to spare).

Private little Meers van transport back to the hotel.  P then worked on his social project creating a new law for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Dinner consisted of chicken noodle soup and a toasted bagel.  J went out to a fancy restaurant for dinner and P and I chilled in the room - me watching TV, and he, watching netflix on his iPad!  One day left!

Universal Studios

Today P and I planned to travel light and fast. I had heard Universal Studios was very strict about carry on items on rides - so I put my phone and wallet in zipped pockets and went without a bag. Our hotel, the Rosen Shingle Creek, offers a free shuttle service to Universal so P and I hopped on the first available bus at 9:45. 

We started the day with the new Despicable Me ride: Minion Mayhem. As a new ride - it had a long line 60 minutes posted. Don't you think P looks good minion goggles?

I was totally annoyed when the first staffer at the Rip rocket ride told me the phone in my zipped pocket was not allowed. "Say what???"  I didn't forfeit carrying a bag to be turned around to and forced to use a locker for a phone in my pocket !  So I told P to go on the ride without me while I waited for him at the exit. Universal Studios is probably legitimately worried about loose change and the like flying off the ride and injuring somebody else. After Transformer's and Revenge of the Mummy we decided to head to Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. 

What was really cool was there was no signage to Diagon Alley - we came upon King's Cross station and the Knight's Bus. I looked on the map and found  the ride "Escape from Gringott's" - I headed in that general direction. After walking around a brick wall we were faced with Diagon Alley in all it's glory. We felt just like Harry Potter the first time he saw it too!

The detail in the Escape from Gringott's ride was amazing. The chandeliers were opulent and the goblins were very lifelike as we entered the bank!  The ride was a better mix of real movement and green screens for me. Universal uses a lot of green screens in their rides and those tend to make me motion sick. We decided to eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron - p had banger's and mash and I had a chicken sandwich.   It was accompanied by the requisite Butterbeer of course!!

Time to board the Hogwart's Express at King's cross station, platform 9 3/4 of course!

It was a real train ride from one Universal Park to another but it had images projected on the windows as if we were travelling g from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade. Cool. Once arrived we rode on the Forbidden Journey. A stop at Honeydukes sweet shop was fun but we didn't buy anything. 

Time to cook down with a Jurassic Park water ride, twice - I forgot just how wet one can get on that ride!!  So after that P decided he wanted to head back to the hotel and do his religion homework and go for a swim. 

But the rain had other ideas!  We forfeited our run for the shuttle bus and hung out under a patio umbrella while it poured rain (P ate Dip'n Dots). Since we missed the first bus we decided to go for a log ride (Dudley do right's Ripsaw Falls). Once we were about to step onto the ride the attendant told us Ride was shut down due to lightning. We hung out for 15 minutes hoping it would open. No such luck. 

So we ran through the rain- list of it for 20 minutes to catch the next bus!  We were soaking wet and cold by the time we boarded the bus and returned to the hotel. 

Supper homework and now a late night swim for all three of us!

Disney Day 1

So J did arrive safely at our room last night at 12:30 am. P and I were sleeping so quickly dropped his his bags and joined us. Seven am was a wee bit early for Peter so we snoozed till 7:30. After breakfast we dropped our bags at luggage services and were walking to a shuttle to take us to Animal Kingdom. It was then that one of realized realized they were not wearing their magicband - which acts as both room key and park admission ticket.   Good thing we weren't already standing at the Animal Kingdom

gates after our bus ride.

Once we acquired said magicband, we took a shuttle to Animal Kingdom arriving 30 minutes after the park opened instead of our usual 30 minutes I'm advance!  Our first ride was Kali River Rapids and I got soaking wet - as did P!  So good that it was humid and 30 C to help dry us out!

Expedition Everest is a roller coaster that goes backwards and forwards in the dark and outside.  We then visited Kilmanjaro Safaris - my favourite, because it is like a real safari in Africa - something that is on my bucket list.  I dragged my boys to see "Finding Nemo" the musical and we squeezed in two visits of Dinosaur (Like the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland) before lunch.  Lunch was eaten at Flame Tree barbecue - I had the salad, J the turkey sandwich and P a half roast chicken.  Tasty.  We visited the Kali River rapids again to get wet and cool down in the heat of the day.

By 4 pm we were tired out and decided to take the shuttle to Downtown Disney to have table service dinner.  We were thrilled to find the Tratorria Italian restaurant.  P had gnocchi, J a pasta dish and I, the mahi mahi.

Another shuttle back to the Pop Century hotel and we collected our luggage.  Then boarded a taxi for the Rosen Shingle Creek conference centre where we are staying for J's conference.  Lovely hotel - John says the beds are comfortable.  I must retire for the night!

In the first picture - P is posing with the Ghiradelli chocolate sundae that we all shared for dessert after supper.
I am posing in picture 2 with P to show just how tall he is at age 14!  But I really like the intricate carvings in the tree in the background.

P's favourite ride, "Expedition Everest"is seen in the background of P & J in picture 3.  In picture 4,  J & P are acting like monkeys seen right behind their heads!

Orlando Here We Come!

Today P and I will be joining his Dad in Orlando for a fun escape. J has a conference in Orlando and I thought that was just too fun a destination to pass up!  As JG is now a first year university student,  is being responsible and staying home!  I think living alone for a week will be a good life experience  - like he was living on his own for real! JG - "No wild parties, do you hear?"

So we only packed carry on bags for this trip. I LOVE my little carry on with 4 wheels!  It is strong enough to take the load of my personal item too ( loaded w books and a computer for P to do homework) while I push it all over the aiport!

We hopped on the Magical Express coach as soon as we got off our flight. This is a complimentary shuttle service to take you to any of Disney's resorts. It is a great value added for us that we appreciate. J is arriving on a later flight so he will be taking a later coach. Disney might be losing money on this deal since we are only staying at the Pop Century resort for one night!

So we checked in to a small room in the 90's building. Rooms start in the 50's and work up each decade to the 90's. This is where Disney made up their money with us as we were in the farthest building from check-in. Lovely warm night air and lots to see enroute made for a delightful walk. See some of the pictures.  We walked back to the main building for dinner just as the fireworks were bursting forth. P has cheese pizza and the deluxe brownie for dessert !  I had chicken and pasta and raw carrots. 

Happily settled in our room now awaiting J to join us late tonight.