So it was back to Hollywood Studios today. We were a bit nervous, as it had been so busy the first day we had visited we had barely scratched the surface of the rides we wanted to do. We had three priorities; Fast Passes for Toy Story Mania, and ride Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror...
Whilst Master and Mrs B jogged to Rock n Roller Coaster, where they had a 10 minute wait time I queued for Toy Story Mania Fast Passes. I say ' queue' as there wasn't really much of a queue, which was good news. I had to try and time the Fast Pass return times to fit around our dinner reservation so I let a few people in front of me before diving in and bagging the tickets. It was crazy, as the return times weren't going up in 5 minute intervals as they do for other rides - they were jumping in 30 minute intervals! Probably due to the popularity of this ride and the number of reservations made with Magic Bands using Fast Pass Plus. Anyway, I bagged the tickets and met Mrs and Master B as they exited their ride.
We all headed over to Tower of Terror where there was only a 5 minute queue! This was good news and it is a fabulous ride. You get bounced up and down in an elevator, and I thought it was a lot of fun - even though I don't usually like these 'thrill' rides. So even if you don't either - give it a go!
It was only 10.15 and we had done everything we had set out to do. We decided to head to the main plaza and see if any characters were out and we were lucky to see Donald and Daisy. Master B had his photo with both of them.
We stopped at Starring Rolls for some well deserved sustenance. We all had bakery goods, fruit and drinks and felt much refreshed. We then headed out of the park. We were intending to watch the show later, and didn't want to over do it, so we headed back to the hotel for a rest for an hour or so.
After a bit of a rest we headed back into the park and went to our dining reservation at Mama Melrose. Only a short wait and we were in and seated. Our server, Simon (from Birmingham, England!), gave us the menus and surprised us with what we could have. We booked the Fantasmic package, which gave us preferred seating at the Fantasmic show that evening, and also gave us starters, main course and puds - all for one Disney dining credit (you don't usually get starters). Mrs B and I went for the calamari, which was delicious and came with 3 dips, then I had the pasta and meatballs whilst the wife had chicken campanelle and we finished with a sharing dessert of three small puds. It was all pretty good. Master B had a pizza and some ice cream.
We then waddled along to Toy Story Mania where we skipped the lines with our Fast Passes and got straight on. Big difference from the massive queue we had last time! Anyway, that was good fun (although I think my gun was a little faulty).
We then headed to a firm family favourite: Lights, Motors, Action. This is a car stunt show and is a half hour of amazing car chases and stunts. It's cracking stuff and we always get wowed by it. One we will go back to again and again.
We slowed the pace a little after that and decided to get some photos done with some characters. We headed to the Magic of Animation section of the park where we saw Frozone and Mr Incredible (from The Incredibles), Vanelope and Ralph from Wreck It Ralph and Mickey dressed in his Fantasia costume (or as Master B put it - dressed like in Disney Infinity -ah the modern generation!).
It was pretty much time to head to Fantasmic and there was some jolly pre-show entertainment to keep us amused. Once the lights dimmed and the show started there was a spectacular water display with video projected onto it. Lot's of character involved too. It was much better than the Epcot fireworks, much more interesting, but I was still a little non-plussed by it. Mrs B loved it and Master B quite enjoyed it too, so I suspect we will pay a return visit. The preferred seating was front and centre, so really good seats, and if you are on the Dining Plan I'd recommend booking a Fantasmic package at participating park restaurants.
A late evening then, so it was pretty much home and bed. We did to a lot today and all agreed this should be a template on tackling Hollywood Studios for future visits.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 11 - Universal Studios & Disneys Animal Kingdom
Master B wanted to go and do some of the rides again at Universal. We only had the car for this morning, so we thought we may as well use it before it had to be returned.
After being parked in the cool interior of the multi-storey it was back to the roof and the hot Florida sun again... Why? It's pointless... Anyway, we cracked on over to Despicable Me and there was a queue already, even though the park had only just opened. It was quoted 20 minutes, and it probably was that, but it was a bit boring to queue. There was a fun quiz going on on TV monitors spread aroumd, but you couldn't hear the sound. Anyway, it was as good the second time - and didn't break down!
Master B and Mrs B rode Transformers again whilst I checked out Starbucks. There only a 5 minute queue. We then went to Men In Black where a rather silly man wouldn't let Mrs B on without taking off her camera bag that was strapped securely round her waist. She gave him a few words of advice about what he could do with said camera bag, before we quit the ride. Master B and I went back without camera bags whilst Mrs B soaked up the Florida sunshine (it was another warm day).
We then quit the park to take the car back. Those nice people at Alamo dropped us off at...
After being parked in the cool interior of the multi-storey it was back to the roof and the hot Florida sun again... Why? It's pointless... Anyway, we cracked on over to Despicable Me and there was a queue already, even though the park had only just opened. It was quoted 20 minutes, and it probably was that, but it was a bit boring to queue. There was a fun quiz going on on TV monitors spread aroumd, but you couldn't hear the sound. Anyway, it was as good the second time - and didn't break down!
Master B and Mrs B rode Transformers again whilst I checked out Starbucks. There only a 5 minute queue. We then went to Men In Black where a rather silly man wouldn't let Mrs B on without taking off her camera bag that was strapped securely round her waist. She gave him a few words of advice about what he could do with said camera bag, before we quit the ride. Master B and I went back without camera bags whilst Mrs B soaked up the Florida sunshine (it was another warm day).
We then quit the park to take the car back. Those nice people at Alamo dropped us off at...
Disney Animal Kingdom
...where we went to Camp Minnie Mickey to have a photo with Donald in his safari gear (irony is Mickey & Minnie have moved out!). We then legged it back to the main entrance to go to the Rainforest Cafe as we were starving! We got seated quite quickly (unfortunately next to a waterfall that was rather noisy) before ordering a hot dog for Master B (with some crisps), Mrs B had fried shrimp with slaw and fries and I had pot roast with mashed potato. We had some desserts; Mrs B went for cheesecake and I had a chocolate cake. We washed it down with soda. It was OK. The food was nothing special, but it wasn't horrible either.
Mrs B and Master B then joined the Wilderness Explorers club. You get a book of different challenges that earn you badges in different parts of the park. It's good fun. You get to walk around, talk to some of the experts and look for hidden codes and signs. I was happy following them around, holding the jumpers and watching the world go by as they did their challenges. We also stopped at The Boneyard which is a huge dinosaur-themed playground for kids. It was huge!
I think we must have spent a good couple of hours doing this as it was quite late when we finally left the park.
It was chill out and TV back at the villa before bed!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 10 - Universal's Islands Of Adventure and more..
So it was back to Islands of Adventure today to mop up some of the rides we didn't do last time we were there, or do some of the favourites again. It was good news on the parking too. After two days being parked on the roof in the Florida sunshine, and coming back to a car your could cook eggs on, we were parked in the inside of the multi-story car park. Nice!
It wasn't a big queue to get in and we were soon walking up to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We decided to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and were prepared for quite a queue. Turns out we only had to wait about 20 minutes, which is a massive difference from the last time we came when the ride was very new and we queued for an hour! For me, the ride was only slightly less rubbish than last time we rode it. There's lots of jolting about and spinning around and so on. There are a few models of dragons and dementors dotted about, which are all quite fun, but I still feel slightly sick getting off the ride.
Whilst I check my breakfast is still in the right place, Mrs B quickly hops on to Flight of the Hippogriff mainly so she can check progress on the new area of Harry Potter that is currently under construction. You get a good view from this ride. I buy Master B a pumpkin juice, which he wants desperately, and drinks about two sips of before deciding he doesn't like it. We kept the lid as a souvenir and ditched the rest of it. It's quite spicy - I'm not a big fan of it either.
To my surprise, Master B wants to go to Seuss Landing. I thought he might want to skip that this time round, but we are soon riding high above the ground on the Seuss Trolley Train Ride. It's a good bit of fun, with a nice Seuss-esque commentary and bits from the books to look out for. Master B also wants to go on One Fish, Two Fish which is a merry-go-round where you get squirted with water. It's a bit cooler today but we reluctantly agree. We get soaked!
We decide we are a bit hungry and thirsty (and wet) and so head to the Croissant Moon Cafe (which isn't marked on the map, but is near the Port of Entry). It's a bakery like the Boulangerie in the Studios park, and we chose pastries and drinks and feel refreshed (and slightly drier).
Master B wants to ride Spiderman so we head that way. I watch the super hero parade whilst Mrs and Master duck into the ride. As soon as the parade is over (about 2 minutes later) the wait time goes up from 10 minutes to 30 minutes as everyone does the same after the parade!. I drink my coffee and people watch and then when Master B emerges we just about manage to bag a photo with Captain America before he leaves.
We head over to Harry Potter to go to the sweet shop (Honeydukes) to get more goodies before we depart the park.
We get back to the hotel and have a rest before deciding to head out to...
It wasn't a big queue to get in and we were soon walking up to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We decided to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and were prepared for quite a queue. Turns out we only had to wait about 20 minutes, which is a massive difference from the last time we came when the ride was very new and we queued for an hour! For me, the ride was only slightly less rubbish than last time we rode it. There's lots of jolting about and spinning around and so on. There are a few models of dragons and dementors dotted about, which are all quite fun, but I still feel slightly sick getting off the ride.
Whilst I check my breakfast is still in the right place, Mrs B quickly hops on to Flight of the Hippogriff mainly so she can check progress on the new area of Harry Potter that is currently under construction. You get a good view from this ride. I buy Master B a pumpkin juice, which he wants desperately, and drinks about two sips of before deciding he doesn't like it. We kept the lid as a souvenir and ditched the rest of it. It's quite spicy - I'm not a big fan of it either.
To my surprise, Master B wants to go to Seuss Landing. I thought he might want to skip that this time round, but we are soon riding high above the ground on the Seuss Trolley Train Ride. It's a good bit of fun, with a nice Seuss-esque commentary and bits from the books to look out for. Master B also wants to go on One Fish, Two Fish which is a merry-go-round where you get squirted with water. It's a bit cooler today but we reluctantly agree. We get soaked!
We decide we are a bit hungry and thirsty (and wet) and so head to the Croissant Moon Cafe (which isn't marked on the map, but is near the Port of Entry). It's a bakery like the Boulangerie in the Studios park, and we chose pastries and drinks and feel refreshed (and slightly drier).
Master B wants to ride Spiderman so we head that way. I watch the super hero parade whilst Mrs and Master duck into the ride. As soon as the parade is over (about 2 minutes later) the wait time goes up from 10 minutes to 30 minutes as everyone does the same after the parade!. I drink my coffee and people watch and then when Master B emerges we just about manage to bag a photo with Captain America before he leaves.
We head over to Harry Potter to go to the sweet shop (Honeydukes) to get more goodies before we depart the park.
We get back to the hotel and have a rest before deciding to head out to...
Epcot
...where Mrs B and I want to use up some snack credits at the Food & Wine Festival stalls and so get some more stamps in our festival passports! I start in Argentina where I have a delicious beef skewer, then move to Germany for Schinkennudeln (a pasta gratin) and Apple Strudel before finishing in Florida with a beef slider (a mini burger). All washed down with water, because I'm driving. Mrs B samples dishes in Australia, Italy and Scotland. She washed this down with a little Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beeer from USA. We enjoyed everything we ate. Master B had a sandwich before he left, but was happy enough trailing round after us knowing that if he was good, he'd get a chocolate frog I had bought him from Honeydukes.
We also rode the little boats that go from Mexico to Germany and Morocco to Canada. This saved a little walking as the sun was out again and it was pretty hot (about 83 F).
On the way out of the park, we stopped at House of Mouse to buy a couple of T-Shirts and rode Spaceship Earth because it had no lines and is a favourite of ours.
Then it was the usual eat, watch Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune and think about bed.
Another slow paced day. With the two weeks out here, we can afford to move a little slower and I think we learnt the lessons of the first few days where we burnt ourselves out!
Monday, October 28, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 9 - Universal Studios
Up and at 'em at the crack of dawn today. It was an early opening at Universal Studios due to it being a Halloween party tonight so we set off from base camp at 7:30am. We got there with about 5 minutes to spare before opening and were 5th in the line to get in the gate! Wahoo!
Once the gates opened we walked at a fast pace to get to Despicable Me. Well, I broke into a jog - I really wanted to ride this. There was no need to panic, we were in the first wave of people through the doors and there is a great video sequence with all the gang explaining how we were going to be transformed into Minions! It was really funny, we were is stitches. Then on to the ride. Which broke down halfway through. Booooo... This left us hanging for a few minutes, but they go it fixed and played it from the beginning, so we got one-and-a-half rides. We all enjoyed it.
Next we headed for Transformers - hopefully a fully working Transformers. As we rounded a corner we stumbled across Megatron doing a meet-and-greet so we had our photo taken with him. We went round the many queuing areas (guess this gets busy at peak season) and pretty much walked on to the ride. It was another simulator on a short track, like Spiderman and many other Universal rides. The story was better than Spiderman, but it had the usual water spray, vertical plunges, spinning around and stuff. Anyway, Master B really enjoyed it, and wanted to go on again. I was done with it, but Mrs B was happy to do it with him.
Next, there was another chance for me to wander round some of the movie facades in the park as Mrs and Master B went on Revenge of the Mummy which is another high octane ride I can't cope with. They both enjoyed it, though.
We walked round the lake in the middle and looked at the construction work happening on the new Harry Potter area, where they are building Kings Cross and Diagon Alley. All looked very exciting... We then headed to Men In Black: Alien Attack which is a shoot-em up ride (like Buzz Lightyear). We were a bit confused as to what were aiming at the first time round, but seeing as there was zero queue (this was really weird having no queues at all) we went on it again. Much better the second time round and our scores all improved.
We then moved on to the new Simpsons area and rode The Simpsons Ride. It was similar to Star Tours in that it was a simulator that rocked around whilst a movie played in front of you. Not in 3D though, which was interesting - and slightly odd seeing as most things are nowadays. Anyway, it was OK, nothing special. To be honest, to my mind, a lot of these Universal rides are very similar. I find them a bit repetitive, but Master B seems to enjoy them more than me and Mrs B, so very much more his thing than ours.
Anyway, we explored the new Springfield area and had some fun photos taken on the Simpsons' couch as well as looking round the other bits. Sadly, the eating areas like Moe's Tavern were closed - but it was still before 11am so not really surprising.
We were a bit peckish so headed to Beverley Hills Boulangerie for pastries and drinks. I had a cherry danish and coffee (a Lavazza coffee and he first decent cup I've had for ages), Mrs B had a hot chcoclate and a croissant and Master B had a cookie the size of a car tyre and a Coke.
Much refreshed, we headed back to Transformers to ride it a third time (clearly I didn't, I sat in the sun and finished my coffee) and then back to Springfield to see if the eateries were open. They were, so Master B had a Flaming Moe in Moe's Tavern, which he liked, and Mrs B had her photo taken with a plastic Barney!
It was still quite early, so we decided to ride ET. It's not the greatest ride and has a long old wait time even with no queue as you have to tell and operator your name so ET can thank you personally at the end of the ride. Except it's pointless as you can't hear it. Still, it may not be there much longer, so we rode it for 'old time's sake'.
We had pretty much no lines for the whole morning, but the park was filling up, and wait times were rising. We'd pretty much done what we wanted anyway, so we headed back to Saratoga Springs and hit the pool. Mrs B and I had burgers whilst Master B swam and played in the kids area. We spent nearly three hours there! We all had a good time.
We came back and had a lazy evening.
A good day - the early opening at Universal was useful and it was really quiet in there so we went round it in record time at a relaxed pace.
Once the gates opened we walked at a fast pace to get to Despicable Me. Well, I broke into a jog - I really wanted to ride this. There was no need to panic, we were in the first wave of people through the doors and there is a great video sequence with all the gang explaining how we were going to be transformed into Minions! It was really funny, we were is stitches. Then on to the ride. Which broke down halfway through. Booooo... This left us hanging for a few minutes, but they go it fixed and played it from the beginning, so we got one-and-a-half rides. We all enjoyed it.
Next we headed for Transformers - hopefully a fully working Transformers. As we rounded a corner we stumbled across Megatron doing a meet-and-greet so we had our photo taken with him. We went round the many queuing areas (guess this gets busy at peak season) and pretty much walked on to the ride. It was another simulator on a short track, like Spiderman and many other Universal rides. The story was better than Spiderman, but it had the usual water spray, vertical plunges, spinning around and stuff. Anyway, Master B really enjoyed it, and wanted to go on again. I was done with it, but Mrs B was happy to do it with him.
Next, there was another chance for me to wander round some of the movie facades in the park as Mrs and Master B went on Revenge of the Mummy which is another high octane ride I can't cope with. They both enjoyed it, though.
We walked round the lake in the middle and looked at the construction work happening on the new Harry Potter area, where they are building Kings Cross and Diagon Alley. All looked very exciting... We then headed to Men In Black: Alien Attack which is a shoot-em up ride (like Buzz Lightyear). We were a bit confused as to what were aiming at the first time round, but seeing as there was zero queue (this was really weird having no queues at all) we went on it again. Much better the second time round and our scores all improved.
We then moved on to the new Simpsons area and rode The Simpsons Ride. It was similar to Star Tours in that it was a simulator that rocked around whilst a movie played in front of you. Not in 3D though, which was interesting - and slightly odd seeing as most things are nowadays. Anyway, it was OK, nothing special. To be honest, to my mind, a lot of these Universal rides are very similar. I find them a bit repetitive, but Master B seems to enjoy them more than me and Mrs B, so very much more his thing than ours.
Anyway, we explored the new Springfield area and had some fun photos taken on the Simpsons' couch as well as looking round the other bits. Sadly, the eating areas like Moe's Tavern were closed - but it was still before 11am so not really surprising.
We were a bit peckish so headed to Beverley Hills Boulangerie for pastries and drinks. I had a cherry danish and coffee (a Lavazza coffee and he first decent cup I've had for ages), Mrs B had a hot chcoclate and a croissant and Master B had a cookie the size of a car tyre and a Coke.
Much refreshed, we headed back to Transformers to ride it a third time (clearly I didn't, I sat in the sun and finished my coffee) and then back to Springfield to see if the eateries were open. They were, so Master B had a Flaming Moe in Moe's Tavern, which he liked, and Mrs B had her photo taken with a plastic Barney!
It was still quite early, so we decided to ride ET. It's not the greatest ride and has a long old wait time even with no queue as you have to tell and operator your name so ET can thank you personally at the end of the ride. Except it's pointless as you can't hear it. Still, it may not be there much longer, so we rode it for 'old time's sake'.
We had pretty much no lines for the whole morning, but the park was filling up, and wait times were rising. We'd pretty much done what we wanted anyway, so we headed back to Saratoga Springs and hit the pool. Mrs B and I had burgers whilst Master B swam and played in the kids area. We spent nearly three hours there! We all had a good time.
We came back and had a lazy evening.
A good day - the early opening at Universal was useful and it was really quiet in there so we went round it in record time at a relaxed pace.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 8 - Kennedy Space Center
So it's a day off from the theme parks today as we head to the coast and to Kennedy Space Center. It's about an hour's drive and we make it with a few minutes to spare before opening. We are hoping to get the bus tour first to Saturn V. Anyway, we queue for tickets which takes ages. Then for bag search... Ages. Then we queue for the bus to the Saturn V exhibit. Well, guess what. It takes ages. There is lots of grumbling in the queue and people are shouting at the staff. Buses are coming in, but taking tour groups away - not general ticket holders like us. Eventually, after 25 minutes, a bus does arrive and we are on our way...
It takes about 15 minutes to ride the bus to the Apollo / Saturn V hall and the driver takes us on a road tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center. Interestingly, last time we were here, the bus stopped at Launch Pad 39A - but this is now a separate tour which costs more money. Glad we did it last time! Upon arrival at the Saturn V hall we watch a movie about how the Apollo missions came about and then watch a simulation of the Apollo 8 launch - which was really, really good. Then it's into the hall - and Saturn V is just about the coolest thing ever... It's massive and beautifully displayed with loads of information. We had a good time wandering around. By now we were a bit peckish, so we stopped in the Moon Rock Cafe for supplies. It was reasonably tasty and filled us up.
We took the bus back to the main centre and headed for the Space Shuttle Atlantis hall. Mrs B had been really looking forward to this. Again, we had a couple of video presentations about the history and flights of the shuttle before entering the hall. It was fabulous, and again, a good job had been done on the information. In addition, there was a life-size section of International Space Station housing that Master and Mrs B crawled through and some exhibits about life on board ISS - such as how the crew go to the toilet. Master B found this fascinating... :-)
Master B had been desperate to do Angry Birds Space Encounter so we headed over there. It was rubbish. Just a few crappy games. Bit pointless really. We had done all the other areas last visit, and it was mid-afternoon now and we had spent a while looking at Saturn V and Atlantis. We decided to head home.
Once back at the hotel, we decided to walk to...
It takes about 15 minutes to ride the bus to the Apollo / Saturn V hall and the driver takes us on a road tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center. Interestingly, last time we were here, the bus stopped at Launch Pad 39A - but this is now a separate tour which costs more money. Glad we did it last time! Upon arrival at the Saturn V hall we watch a movie about how the Apollo missions came about and then watch a simulation of the Apollo 8 launch - which was really, really good. Then it's into the hall - and Saturn V is just about the coolest thing ever... It's massive and beautifully displayed with loads of information. We had a good time wandering around. By now we were a bit peckish, so we stopped in the Moon Rock Cafe for supplies. It was reasonably tasty and filled us up.
We took the bus back to the main centre and headed for the Space Shuttle Atlantis hall. Mrs B had been really looking forward to this. Again, we had a couple of video presentations about the history and flights of the shuttle before entering the hall. It was fabulous, and again, a good job had been done on the information. In addition, there was a life-size section of International Space Station housing that Master and Mrs B crawled through and some exhibits about life on board ISS - such as how the crew go to the toilet. Master B found this fascinating... :-)
Master B had been desperate to do Angry Birds Space Encounter so we headed over there. It was rubbish. Just a few crappy games. Bit pointless really. We had done all the other areas last visit, and it was mid-afternoon now and we had spent a while looking at Saturn V and Atlantis. We decided to head home.
Once back at the hotel, we decided to walk to...
Downtown Disney
...for dinner. We chose a favourite: Raglan Road which is an Irish pub and restaurant. We were seated quickly and ordered sausage and mash for myself, shepherd's pie for Mrs B and fish and chips for Master B. Whilst waiting for our dinners, some delicious soda bread and dip was served. The mains were really rather tasty, but massive portions, so I think we all just about ate half of what was served. We wanted to leave room for pud though. Mrs B had the lemon clouds (a sort-of lemon meringue pie) and I had the apple and strawberry crumble. Lovely! Our server, Katie, was lovely and it was a good meal. We even got to see some Irish dancing and a band too!
After dinner, we went to the shops were Master B bought some more Lego in the Lego store and Mrs B bagged a Tee from the Disney store.
Then it was back home for TV and bed!
A nice pace change today. I don't think we want to do theme parks all the day every day. I think we have seen all that KSC offers now, so we shall have to find something different next visit.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 7 - Universal's Islands Of Adventure and more..
With the car we have a new found freedom to explore beyond the Disney boundaries. After breakfast we head off to Universal's theme parks and decide to begin in Islands of Adventure. For some odd reason, they start parking everyone right at the top of the multi-story car park. In the Florida sun. Great idea Universal! Now we get to come back to a hot, hot car! We then have to queue for ages to get our tickets. Grrr... Anyway, we eventually get into the park and start at Marvel Super Hero Island.
We start on The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. I have no idea what it is, but Mrs B says it's like Star Tours at Disney Hollywood Studios (a simulator 3D ride). That's cool. Anyway, we get into the vehicle, with our 3D glasses on - and the vehicle is on a track. It's more of a part roller coaster, part simulator, with spinning and simulated vertical drops and attacks by bad guys with water and fire (so we get a bit wet and a bit hot). When we get off I'm a bit dizzy and can feel breakfast in the wrong part of my body. Master B loved it! He wants to go on again. Mrs B agrees to take him (she doesn't need a second invitation for thrilling rides) whilst I decide to look round the shops. With no wait time, it makes sense to ride it twice anyway.
After that, Mrs B wants to do Doctor Doom's Fearfall. Did I go on? Clue is in the name. Me and Master B go and have our photo takes with Spiderman whilst Mrs B rockets 150 feet into the air, then plunges back down again. She liked it...
Next on the max thrill rides is The Incredible Hulk Coaster. There is a little wait for this one - 15 minutes - but Mrs B does the ride and enjoys it. Not as much as Everest at Animal Kingdom, though.
We then walk through the streets of the Marvel Island and get photos with Dr Doom and The Green Goblin, then watch the superheroes arrive on their motorbikes. We stop in a couple of shops before deciding to head to Jurassic Park. On arrival, we watch the final plunge of the River Adventure ride, where you get absolutely soaked, and Mrs B declares it's too cold to go on (it's only mid-70s degrees F!) so we skip it. Master B stands near the wet zone and gets soaked by one of the ride vehicles plunging into the water. He's happy!
We then go to the Discovery Center which is a recreation of the one in the movie and Master B and Mrs B do some of the interactive exhibits. It's cool in there, so I take the chance to have a sit down!
After a pow-wow, Master B decides he wants a Butterbeer so we go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We did this a lot on our last visit, so we head straight past the sellers on the street with the long queues and go into the Hog's Head pub where there is no queue and order on Butterbeer. We sit in the back garden and enjoy it between us. We then head into the sweet shop, Honeydukes, to buy Peppermint Toads and Chocolate Frogs - just like in the books. They are scrummy.
We want to do some shopping, so we head out of the park around 1pm and hit the malls and Publix supermarket. We then head back to the villa with our purchases and Master B wants to head to the pool, which we do and spend a couple of hours in the Paddock Pool sunbathing and swimming. There is a cracking play area near the pool Master B takes full advantage of.
Around 5pm, Mrs B declares she is hungry, so we decide to drive over to...
We start on The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. I have no idea what it is, but Mrs B says it's like Star Tours at Disney Hollywood Studios (a simulator 3D ride). That's cool. Anyway, we get into the vehicle, with our 3D glasses on - and the vehicle is on a track. It's more of a part roller coaster, part simulator, with spinning and simulated vertical drops and attacks by bad guys with water and fire (so we get a bit wet and a bit hot). When we get off I'm a bit dizzy and can feel breakfast in the wrong part of my body. Master B loved it! He wants to go on again. Mrs B agrees to take him (she doesn't need a second invitation for thrilling rides) whilst I decide to look round the shops. With no wait time, it makes sense to ride it twice anyway.
After that, Mrs B wants to do Doctor Doom's Fearfall. Did I go on? Clue is in the name. Me and Master B go and have our photo takes with Spiderman whilst Mrs B rockets 150 feet into the air, then plunges back down again. She liked it...
Next on the max thrill rides is The Incredible Hulk Coaster. There is a little wait for this one - 15 minutes - but Mrs B does the ride and enjoys it. Not as much as Everest at Animal Kingdom, though.
We then walk through the streets of the Marvel Island and get photos with Dr Doom and The Green Goblin, then watch the superheroes arrive on their motorbikes. We stop in a couple of shops before deciding to head to Jurassic Park. On arrival, we watch the final plunge of the River Adventure ride, where you get absolutely soaked, and Mrs B declares it's too cold to go on (it's only mid-70s degrees F!) so we skip it. Master B stands near the wet zone and gets soaked by one of the ride vehicles plunging into the water. He's happy!
We then go to the Discovery Center which is a recreation of the one in the movie and Master B and Mrs B do some of the interactive exhibits. It's cool in there, so I take the chance to have a sit down!
After a pow-wow, Master B decides he wants a Butterbeer so we go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We did this a lot on our last visit, so we head straight past the sellers on the street with the long queues and go into the Hog's Head pub where there is no queue and order on Butterbeer. We sit in the back garden and enjoy it between us. We then head into the sweet shop, Honeydukes, to buy Peppermint Toads and Chocolate Frogs - just like in the books. They are scrummy.
We want to do some shopping, so we head out of the park around 1pm and hit the malls and Publix supermarket. We then head back to the villa with our purchases and Master B wants to head to the pool, which we do and spend a couple of hours in the Paddock Pool sunbathing and swimming. There is a cracking play area near the pool Master B takes full advantage of.
Around 5pm, Mrs B declares she is hungry, so we decide to drive over to...
Disney Epcot
... to eat at the Food and Wine Festival. We head to the USA where I have a delicious Clam Chowder soup and the bread and butter pudding and Mrs B has the Lobster Roll. We are all a bit tired by now, so we stroll back to the car and get home in time for Wheel of Fortune.
A slower day today, but we needed it I think...
Friday, October 25, 2013
2013 Holiday Day 6 - Disney Animal Kingdom
It was a very early start this morning as were heading off for a character breakfast (where you dine whilst Disney characters wander around the tables to have photos with you) called Donald's Dining Safari Breakfast at Tusker House Restaurant. We headed for the bus stop and really noticed the drop in temperature that had occurred overnight. It was really cold! We got on the 7:15am bus and were soon signing in with our restaurant reservation and walking with other diners through a deserted Animal Kingdom. It was very tranquil and we stopped and looked in at several of the animal enclosures as well as having our photo taken right next to the Tree Of Life which dominates the centre of the park.
Breakfast was great and we all enjoyed it. We were greeted by Donald and had our photo taken and then headed inside for a fabulous buffet. There was something for all tastes in there. I had sausage, egg and Mickey waffles followed by a cinnamon bun and apple muffin. Mrs B had similar and Master B had the sausage with some baked good too. This was washed down with a fruit juice blend called Jungle Juice which was delicious. Mickey, Daisy and Goofy wandered around the tables and we took photos of Master B with them. He was wearing his Donald hat, which Donald had enjoyed, Daisy had kissed and Mickey - well - he wasn't too impressed!
It was bang on 9am when we finished and dashed straight to the front of the queue for Kilimanjaro Safaris. This is a tour of the wildlife park in a ranger vehicle where your guide takes you round the different areas and you get to try and spot the animals. Early in the morning is best when the animals are most awake, and because it was a cooler day, they were much more active too. We saw all sorts and were very lucky with pretty much seeing everything the reserve had to offer. Our guide was very good too.
After exiting this ride, we saw the gorillas at the start of the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. But we didn't go any further, choosing instead to head to Asia for one of the two big thrill rides in Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest. This is a roller coaster, and so a bit too thrilling for yours truly, but Mrs B and Master B went on and enjoyed themselves, although Master B was a little unsure afterwards as to whether he did like it or not. He must have liked it, though, as he spent some holiday money on an Expedition Everest T-Shirt! Minimal queuing again. We were definitely in front of the main wave of the crowds.
We then went to bag the other big ride: DINOSAUR. I was told I would be OK on this ride, and I quite enjoyed it. We headed back in time to explore the world of the dinosaurs, but there is a twist which I won't give away, which makes it more thrilling than that. This was well done and we all liked it. Again, minimal queuing which was great!
As we exited this ride, Master B saw the Primeval Whirl ride which was a small roller coaster that also spun the carriages like a waltzer. I don't do spinning, so was on bag-holding and photograph duties but the other two quite enjoyed it.
We all fancied a slower pace after that, , so Mrs B suggested a bird show called Flights of Wonder. It sounded a bit lame to me, but I was up for sitting down for a bit. Master B was feeling the pace too. I sat on one of the benches, prepared to be a bit bored, but actually - to my surprise - it was fantastic. It was done really well, with a comedy character on stage the kids liked, as well as the serious straight-man who explained about the birds. The birds fly all around you too - swooping so close overhead you can feel their wings beating the air. Great stuff - definitely do that one again...
We didn't want to do the river rapids ride, as it was too chilly to get dry properly, so we headed for a walking tour of more animal enclosures called Maharajah Jungle Trek. We saw quite a few tigers and other animals, and it was a relaxing look at some of the other residents of this theme park. I liked the giant fruit bats best I think!
By now it was 12:30, and as we were hiring a car at 2:30, decided to leave the park and head back to the hotel for a long lunch. Best laid plans and all that... We must have just missed the bus because we had to wait ages. Then it hit just about every red light known to man and we eventually rolled into the hotel about an hour later. Nightmare! We had some lunch and were just in time to get the bus to pick up the car. We just ate a couple if pizzas in the Artists Palette quick service restaurant.
Master B positively refused to do anything else today. He was tired and fed up of walking. That's the trouble with these holidays - they are tiring - but you want to make the most of your time here - so it's a balance in trying to get that right. Clearly, there's no point dragging a miserable child around something, so I let him have the afternoon to himself and he played with his newly purchased Lego and on his iPod and watched some TV. Mrs B went for a walk to explore our hotel area more and enjoyed some time to herself.
We got some sandwiches from the Artists Palette as dinner, which I washed down with some beer, and after Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune on the telly we were pretty much done!
A good morning at Animal Kingdom, but circumstances went against us a bit after that. We have a slow day planned tomorrow too, using the car, so hopefully we will all recover some energy for more fuller days to come.
Beer consumed: Sam Adams - just regular old Sam Adams - but it's a lovely drop!
Breakfast was great and we all enjoyed it. We were greeted by Donald and had our photo taken and then headed inside for a fabulous buffet. There was something for all tastes in there. I had sausage, egg and Mickey waffles followed by a cinnamon bun and apple muffin. Mrs B had similar and Master B had the sausage with some baked good too. This was washed down with a fruit juice blend called Jungle Juice which was delicious. Mickey, Daisy and Goofy wandered around the tables and we took photos of Master B with them. He was wearing his Donald hat, which Donald had enjoyed, Daisy had kissed and Mickey - well - he wasn't too impressed!
It was bang on 9am when we finished and dashed straight to the front of the queue for Kilimanjaro Safaris. This is a tour of the wildlife park in a ranger vehicle where your guide takes you round the different areas and you get to try and spot the animals. Early in the morning is best when the animals are most awake, and because it was a cooler day, they were much more active too. We saw all sorts and were very lucky with pretty much seeing everything the reserve had to offer. Our guide was very good too.
After exiting this ride, we saw the gorillas at the start of the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. But we didn't go any further, choosing instead to head to Asia for one of the two big thrill rides in Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest. This is a roller coaster, and so a bit too thrilling for yours truly, but Mrs B and Master B went on and enjoyed themselves, although Master B was a little unsure afterwards as to whether he did like it or not. He must have liked it, though, as he spent some holiday money on an Expedition Everest T-Shirt! Minimal queuing again. We were definitely in front of the main wave of the crowds.
We then went to bag the other big ride: DINOSAUR. I was told I would be OK on this ride, and I quite enjoyed it. We headed back in time to explore the world of the dinosaurs, but there is a twist which I won't give away, which makes it more thrilling than that. This was well done and we all liked it. Again, minimal queuing which was great!
As we exited this ride, Master B saw the Primeval Whirl ride which was a small roller coaster that also spun the carriages like a waltzer. I don't do spinning, so was on bag-holding and photograph duties but the other two quite enjoyed it.
We all fancied a slower pace after that, , so Mrs B suggested a bird show called Flights of Wonder. It sounded a bit lame to me, but I was up for sitting down for a bit. Master B was feeling the pace too. I sat on one of the benches, prepared to be a bit bored, but actually - to my surprise - it was fantastic. It was done really well, with a comedy character on stage the kids liked, as well as the serious straight-man who explained about the birds. The birds fly all around you too - swooping so close overhead you can feel their wings beating the air. Great stuff - definitely do that one again...
We didn't want to do the river rapids ride, as it was too chilly to get dry properly, so we headed for a walking tour of more animal enclosures called Maharajah Jungle Trek. We saw quite a few tigers and other animals, and it was a relaxing look at some of the other residents of this theme park. I liked the giant fruit bats best I think!
By now it was 12:30, and as we were hiring a car at 2:30, decided to leave the park and head back to the hotel for a long lunch. Best laid plans and all that... We must have just missed the bus because we had to wait ages. Then it hit just about every red light known to man and we eventually rolled into the hotel about an hour later. Nightmare! We had some lunch and were just in time to get the bus to pick up the car. We just ate a couple if pizzas in the Artists Palette quick service restaurant.
Master B positively refused to do anything else today. He was tired and fed up of walking. That's the trouble with these holidays - they are tiring - but you want to make the most of your time here - so it's a balance in trying to get that right. Clearly, there's no point dragging a miserable child around something, so I let him have the afternoon to himself and he played with his newly purchased Lego and on his iPod and watched some TV. Mrs B went for a walk to explore our hotel area more and enjoyed some time to herself.
We got some sandwiches from the Artists Palette as dinner, which I washed down with some beer, and after Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune on the telly we were pretty much done!
A good morning at Animal Kingdom, but circumstances went against us a bit after that. We have a slow day planned tomorrow too, using the car, so hopefully we will all recover some energy for more fuller days to come.
Beer consumed: Sam Adams - just regular old Sam Adams - but it's a lovely drop!
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