Preparing for an Amusement Park Marathon

Find an old telephone booth, or sauna, pack it full of people and wait for the tempers to erupt.

You think I'm joking, I'm not.

Not all amusement parks are this bad, nor are many rides, but there are a few lines you'll be waiting in that you will have to kiss your personal space good-bye, and I think Americans tend to have larger personal space issues than other nationalities.

And if you are on the vertically challenged side of the scale, say 'hello' to everyone's armpit.

There were two rides that were the worse: WDW The Haunted Mansion, and UF Escape from Gringotts.

Think of cowboys prodding a large herd of cattle into a single crush for one cow.

Both of these rides have elevators taking a group{(s) Gringotts has two elevators}down to a queuing area. So if the ride isn't moving quickly enough the area backs up, resulting in a free-for-all as everyone pushes and shoves their way into position. It's ugly and humanity doesn't shine in determination to be "first" in line. The problem is slightly alleviated by limiting the number of people on the elevators, but the persons halting the queue on the front end really have no idea how bad it has become on the other side. Then the amusement-park-powers-that-be might consider some sort of chain queue to break up the horde of humanity prior to the funneling process, which would get rid of the whole funnel experience. During off season, this isn't a problem, but in peak season when the crowd levels are high, it's hideous.

 The next issue is getting around the parks, AKA walking.

These parks are BIG. And you probably won't be simply going in one direction one time, but instead will be traversing these parks for one ride or another or to take advantage of a FastPass+ or a meal at a particular location.

But you think to yourself, "I'm a walker. I walk 4-5 miles a day. No biggie."

Yes, it is a biggie. It's a big issue because when you are walking on your own terms, treadmill or trail, you can stride out and get your heart rate up, and all-in-all enjoy life.

Not so in an amusement park.

You have to take into consideration the 20,000 other bodies who walk at a different pace, who meander all over the place, who stop for no reason right in front of you, or those people who want to go against the flow of traffic or cut across to the attraction on the other side, which disrupts your forward momentum.

It's those people who are at odds with your focused walking. In the immortal paraphrased words of a character in James Herriot's novel, All Creatures Great and Small, "I don't like the big city much, Mr. Herriot. A man can't walk there.  'e has to take big steps and little 'uns."

Still even though you won't be striding out, you will be putting in miles and thousands of steps. On my biggest day, I managed to get almost 22,000 steps, which calculated out to be about 15 miles.

Yeah, when we do amusement parks, we DO amusement parks with a mission!

So even if you have the best shoes in the world, and walk like nobody's business, your poor feet will be screaming at you after a marathon day.

What to do?

Other than buy a shoe with a big enough toe box or wear flip-flops (I couldn't do that. No foot support, and I wouldn't have lasted very long), you could invest in some Band-Aids or be proactive about the situation.

By proactive I mean, taping your toes. Runners do this all the time. If you've walked a lot in your shoes, you'll notice where 'hot spots' tend to pop up. The key is to tape them with cloth tape to prevent rubbing, which is what causes the blisters.

Sorry about the ugly feet, but I am an old broad and my feet tend to show my age. This picture was taken after a long day at the park. I had taped my toes because they tend to rub against one another, and I have 'bunionettes' (the joint sticks out under the baby toe) on both feet. Walking tends to shove your foot forward and my poor bunionettes were getting smushed. I taped them and it helped decrease the pressure.

 

 

So what other health measures do I try to take while on vacation?

 

I have a small zippered bag that has anything and everything you might need: Excedrin (headaches), Aleve (muscle aches), Mucinex and Sudafed (decongestant), Pepto Bismol tablets (tummy upset), Imodium (intestinal upset), Claritin and Alavert (Allergy Meds),  variety of cold medicine, Neosporin and Band-Aids, Cortaid (topical steroid for itching), a small sewing kit and my asthma inhaler. I think that's it.

 

For the most part, I never have to use these items with the exception of the pain relievers, and I don't stock the entire jar. I have one or two doses to get me by if there is a problem and I can then go to the store to buy more if I need it.

 

What if you weren't proactive and managed to get a blister or five? Do you drain them or leave them?

 

Most doctors will recommend NOT draining them, but if you have any more days at the park--DRAIN THEM.

 

Take a needle from the sewing kit and poke a small hole in the blister. Clear fluid will seep out. Once it is finished (use a tissue to catch the fluid) place a little Neosporin on the blister and cover it with a bandage. DO NOT REMOVE THE SKIN OVER THE BLISTER. It's there to protect the raw flesh underneath. If you don't drain the fluid, you might have difficulty walking and might actually tear the skin from the blister, which would make things worse in the long run.

 

Drink lots and lots of water.  This goes without saying, but I'm saying it since we didn't drink near enough fluids a couple of days. The problem is two-fold. 1) When you are sweating and the sweat isn't evaporating, you don't feel the need to drink any extra fluids. And trust me, if you go to Florida in the summer, you will be sweating! 2) When you are waiting in a two hour line for a ride, you don't want to get out of line to use the toilet because you probably won't be allowed back in line!

 

Even if you don't need to use the toilet before a long ride wait, do it anyway! You can thank me later!

 

When we go to the parks we don't carry anything in with us, no purses, no bags, no cameras, no nuthin'. What we need is in our pockets. The number one reason for not carrying a bunch of stuff is that many of the Universal rides require you to put your items in a locker prior to riding. This means you might be in line for 15 minutes before you even get to the locker area, and then you lose your place. . ..and it's a pain in the butt to have to remember to get your stuff.

 

So I keep a few key items in my pockets: tissues (ladies, this is for you. Always remember to pack tissues.) Even if there isn't any toilet paper in the stall I enter to use the bathroom, I always have a tissue with me. I make a small 1/2 sized snack bags (jewelry baggies or coke bags whatever you want to call them) to carry Aleve and Altoids (curiously strong peppermints), a flosser for my teeth, and chapstick or lipstick. Hubs usually has his phone and wallet, so we're good.

 

Oh, I almost forgot. Wear a good pair of sunglasses. The reflective surfaces are harsh on the eyes. I wear Ironman Wrap-around shades--I'm wearing them in the pictures in the previous posts. I started wearing these shades when I had a horse. The arena at my barn was sand, which is very reflective, just like cement and water, which Florida has a whole lot of.

 

That's it for now.

 

Later, Peeps!

 

 

#1 Tip for Florida vacationers

DO NOT GO IN THE MONTHS OF JULY OR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF AUGUST!

 

 Jus' sayin'!

 

That sentence pretty much states it all in a nutshell, my friends.

 

Yes. I've been on vacation.

 

Yes. It was so hot we sweated as soon as we walked outside . . . and we're used to the heat and humidity!

 

Yes. We went to Disney World in Florida . . . again.

 

Yes. We rode the new Seven Dwarves mine train.

 

Yes. We went to Universal Florida. . . again. 

 

Yes. We went to Diagon Alley and rode the new Escape from Gringotts ride.

 

No. We didn't wait 4 hours (yes, you read that right. 4, as in four, quattro, cuatro, quatre, vier, etc.) for the Gringotts ride, but many people did. We waited for an hour, but that's what you do when you get up before the butt-crack of dawn to wait in line for the ride.

 

The heat. The crowds. The sweating. The blisters. The lack of sleep. The exhaustion. The 20,000+ steps a day on our Fitbits. The 10-15 MILES of daily walking.

 

 

UGH!

 

And then the good . . . The Disney bars. The rides. The food! The beer (one for every country, right?). The butterbeer ice cream.

 

MMMMMmmmm!

 

 



Our vacation started innocuously enough, three travelers ready for vacation on a beach in Florida . . .

Bright eyed and bushy tailed on the first day of vaca



Our balcony at Ft. Lauderdale



Photobombed by the daughter on beach



Sunset with a thundercloud in the east over the Atlantic

 

 



We've known for quite some time that we are NOT beach people. After a couple of hours we are bored, but it was a nice break for what was next to come. . .

 

(to be continued . . . )



Universal Florida Rides -- Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure

FYI: This park contains the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

If you are coming from the Universal parking garage and through City Walk, this is the first park you will see as you walk straight to the gates. If you are arriving via water taxi, you will have to go to your right and around the lagoon to get to the gate.

Disclaimer: I am simply trying to give the blog reader an idea of what to expect from these various rides. If you have a health issue--I am not a doctor, nor do I play one here on this blog--please follow your physician's advice and use your best judgment.

To refresh your memory, here is a copy of the map. The entrance is at the bottom of the map, and I'll start my ride tour with Marvel's Super Hero Island and move about the map in a clockwise manner.

MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND

The Incredible Hulk Coaster -- Express pass -- High speed coaster, once the cars leave the boarding area, it will shoot onto the track. Shoulder harness-type security and you can brace your feet against the flooring. Loose articles will fly away unless secured. This coaster has some serious G's as I have blacked out more than once on this ride, but only for a second or two. Loops, corkscrews and high drops.
Storm Force Accelarton -- Express Pass -- think Disney's spinning Teacups as each pod rotates while the entire floor rotates. The faster your child turns the wheel, the faster you go. Those with weak stomachs are advised to sit this one out.
Doctor Doom's Fearfall -- Express Pass -- Even with the Express Pass, you can wait upwards of 30 minutes for this ride. It's a fun dropping type of ride. Actually, it's the anticipation that gets you before it shoots you into the sky. The view is wonderful. Though it drops you a couple of times, it isn't that bad.
The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman-- Express Pass -- Use your pass if you have one. 3-D with a little 4-D water sprinkling you. Each car seats eight, four in front, four in back. Front is the best! The cars spin, jerk and careen in various patterns according to what is on the 3-D screen. The front has the best view, but it doesn't have any neck support. The back seat has better support. You can brace yourself against the seat, but if you've never ridden it you can't anticipate the direction it will go next.

TOON LAGOON

Me Ship, The Olive -- interactive play area. You can squirt water at the people on the Bilge-Rat Barges. Hubs and kidlet played here. I sat and waited.
Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges -- Express Pass -- I would call this a basic round raft ride, but there's nothing basic about it. Waterfalls, rapids, and drops are just a few surprises you will get in this river raft. YOU WILL GET SOAKED. Pack extra clothes accordingly. Near this ride, there are 'dryers' to dry you--for a price, of course. If the janitorial service catches you trying to dry off in the bathrooms, they will kick you out of the bathroom. Yeah, been there done that.
Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls -- Express Pass --YOU WILL GET SOAKED. Pack extra clothes accordingly. This was one of the best water flume rides I have ever been on! It's big drop is sizeable, which makes it extra fun!

JURASSIC PARK

Pteronodon Flyers -- this is really a kiddie ride. Each flyer seats two. If you are taller than 56", you will need to be accompanied by a kid. It was okay, not worth the long wait in line.
Camp Jurassic -- large playground. If you let your kids loose in there, either go with them or make certain they know where to meet you. It's confusing and easy to get lost  as there are different exits.
Jurassic Park River Adventure -- Express Pass -- water raft ride through Jurassic Park . . . .and escaped dinosaurs. One big drop at the end. You will get wet, but not necessarily soaked like the rides in Toon Lagoon. It was an okay ride. The problem is that many of these rubber rafts tend to leave you smelling 'sour'. Many times, we'll give a ride like this a miss just so we don't smell sour all day. If you've never ridden it, then ride it, but be prepared for the stink.
Jurassic Park Discovery Center -- Interactive play area. Universal is trying to 'teach' park patrons. We don't want to be taught, we want rides to ride! Though we did 'grow' our own dinosaur once. There is NEVER a line unless it's from people escaping the Florida heat.

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey -- before entering this ride, you MUST put all loose articles, bags, etc. into a free locker. Though there isn't an Express Pass for this ride, there is a single rider queue (hidden unless you know where to look!) If you are staying onsite at a hotel, use the early entry time to blow through parts of this line. You must stand in line to ride this ride at least once! The standby queue takes you through Hogwarts: Professor's Sprout's classroom, Dumbledore's office, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and various other corners of Hogwarts. You see status of the founders, the House points counter, various talking pictures, etc. When you use the single rider path, you miss the best part of the castle! The ride itself seats four across, with a shoulder harness to keep you in place. Keep it snug! The ride takes you through a visual journey, where you experience flying, dragons, and the dark forest. Though the car rotates forward, backward, and side to side, you are strapped in pretty well. It is a dark ride and might scare some riders who have not seen any of the first four movies. A DO NOT MISS RIDE!
The singles rider line is to the left, through an open door and up about 3 or 4 stairs. It is almost directly across from the doorway leading from the lockers. If you pass a cast member, you have gone too far.
Flight of the Hippogriff -- Express Pass -- Kiddie rollercoaster that takes you to Hagrid's home and by the Hippogriff nest. Only way to see inside the hippogriff nest is to ride the ride.
Frog Choir -- in a courtyard on the way to the Harry Potter Ride--check times for show
Triwizard Spirit Rally -- in a courtyard on the way to the Harry Potter Ride--check times for show
Ollivander's Wand Shop -- though this isn't on the list of attractions, it is a not-to-be-missed show. The line forms quickly since only a limited number of people can be allowed into the shop for each show. A kid is picked out of the audience to portray Harry Potter. Of course, it exits out into the gift shop. :-)
Honeydukes -- Mmmm candy . . .
Three Broomsticks and Hog's Head Pub -- The Three Broomsticks serves breakfast and lunch--pretty much all day. It's an experience just to sit in the main room and look around. If you want to look around, be prepared to eat as they won't let you inside without ordering food. Hog's Head Pub is adjacent to the Three Broomsticks, but there isn't much seating since the restaurant "reserves" numerous tables. I don't like this practice AT ALL! The Pub offers non-alcoholic beverages, including butterbeer along with real beer--which is pretty tasty.
Dragon Challenge -- Express Pass -- formerly known as Dueling Dragons. Shoulder harness, dangling feet, each row seats four. The rollercoasters haven't changed, but the path to the ride has been embellished with Harry Potter stuff, namely the flying car. There's either the red or blue dragon to ride. Both rides are different. They used to send them off in tandem, so you criss-cross with the other coaster, but the last two years, they didn't time them. Normally, we like to ride in the back of the coaster, because it feels faster, BUT the front row of this ride is pretty cool! It has enough speed that you don't feel like you're waiting for the rest of the cars to catch up before you start. And with no track below your feet, it's totally fun!

THE LOST CONTINENT

The Eight Voyage of Sindbad Stunt Show -- Express Pass -- check times for the show. We haven't watched this in years, but I seem to remember a lot of standing, which didn't do my back any favors.
The Mystic Fountain -- squirts the clueless . . . or children.
Poseidon's Fury -- Express Pass -- guided tour. Tell you the truth, we never did this attraction. If we did, it was forgettable.

I hate to say it, but this area is dying just like the Jurassic Park section. They need to come up with a big ride to rejuvenate it. There is a restaurant called, Mythos, but we've never eaten there.

SEUSS LANDING

The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride --Express Pass -- Four seats per car, two front, two back. Sort of tight due to it being a kiddy ride. It's fun to do since it takes you above the walkways, but if there is a long wait you can skip it without missing anything
Caro-Seuss-el -- Express Pass -- merry-go-round. 'nuff said.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish -- Express Pass -- wet interactive play area. We started to do this one, but as soon as we got squirted, we quit not in the mood to get wet. Probably lots of fun for the little tykes. Bring extra clothes.
The Cat in The Hat -- Express Pass -- ride the couch car through the story. This one was killer on my neck with all the spins, jerking and other stuff. There's a lap bar, but that's it. And since it's a couch, there is no upper back support. Fun, but painful.
If I Ran the Zoo -- interactive playground.

And that's it for today. I'll put together the rides from the Universal Studios park on Thursday!

Later, Peeps!

Universal Florida Wrap-Up

Yes, I know I promised to post this blog last month, but life, school, and Canada have managed to get in the way.

I might be repeating some things, but sometimes the information bears repeating.

Stay on property. -- I know these hotels are very expensive, easily triple the amount you would pay at an off site hotel, but currently, you have a couple of advantages:

• Express Pass -- This is VERY advantageous during the busy times of the year, namely when school is out of session, forcing parents to take their kiddos on vacation during peak holiday season. If you go during peak season, these passes are so worth it. Many of the large rides will have wait times of 60-120 minutes, while the Express Pass will dramatically shorten the wait time as you will be prioritized before any of the standby patrons. The price of the Express Pass varies depending on the typical attendance need.
•   Very busy holiday season = very costly Express Pass. During peak season, it could cost upwards of $120 per person for a 2-park unlimited Express Pass, multiply that by the members of your party. . . let's say 3 = $360 you would pay ON TOP OF YOUR PARK ADMISSION. Whereas, if you stay at one of the three big onsite properties, paying around $400-500/room, but you have FREE Express Passes, then it's a better overall deal than staying off site at a cheaper hotel where you have to pay for the Express Pass plus parking!
• Now, the Express Pass won't get you into every show or on every ride, but it does work for the majority of the attractions, with the exception of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Ollivander's Wand Shop Show. BUT this brings me to my next advantage,
• Early Entry -- Yep, if you stay in the on site hotels you are given early entry into both theme parks. The parks vary as to the days they open early. During peak season, both parks opened early on the weekend, but one or the other on the weekdays. Plan accordingly.
• The reason you want the early entry is to get into line for Harry Potter or Ollivander's. . . or in the case of a new ride, for example: TRANSFORMERS. True, you are fighting everyone else for a place in line, but no matter how many people there are, you still beat the hideous crowds during the middle of the day waiting in a two hour line.
• Marking off the Harry Potter section of the map before the rush at 10 AM is wonderful for those of us who hate crowds. You can also make a reservation for breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, but I would advise you to ride the ride first, simply because eating first will put you right back into the crowded lines.
• Transportation to the parks --There are boats that take you back and forth to City Walk, which is on the opposite side of the lagoon from the theme parks. Again you have to hoof it about 5 minutes to even get to the park gate. The Hard Rock Hotel is the closest hotel to the parks, so if you want to walk, stay there. Though we did walk from the Portofino Bay hotel, and it wasn't that bad of a walk-- 15 minutes winding through some gorgeous gardens -- BUT you need to take into account that you will be walking and standing much of the day. If you aren't in very good health or shape, then you might want to take the boat. They also have rickshaw bikes. The peddlers work for tips, so be generous, especially if you pack the rickshaw full of people.
• Soft Openings -- Many times if you get to the gate 15 minutes prior to the park opening, you will be let in. BUT that is simply to allow you to walk to the attraction you want to ride. The rides will not start until the true park opening.

Health Warnings (this goes for the Disney Parks, too):

This is the warning sign for the Harry Potter ride

• Virtually every single ride will post some sort of health warnings. If you are . . . blah, blah, blah, . . . do not ride this ride. This sort of statement is used to 'legally' cover themselves. Since I'm not a lawyer, I do not know if these warnings really work. Probably, if you, with various health issues, knowingly go on a ride that states it can cause X, and you ride it, resulting in X issues, then you are a moron. Whether or not you can collect money from your injuries is unknown.
• I could probably be considered a moron because I knowingly rode many, many rides that stated do not ride this ride if you have neck or back issues.
• BUT in my defense, I had previously ridden all the rides--other than TRANSFORMERS--many, many times in the past 10 years.
•  I knew what to expect from each ride.
• Respect the signs. If you are unsure, then ask a trusted loved one to ride the ride and report back to you, or ask a cast member. Sometimes they can help you decide simply by stating if it is or isn't like another ride you've already ridden. For example: Spiderman is very similar to Transformers, which is similar to The Simpsons in terms of ride car and movement.
• Some of the rides have an intense G-force, while other rides will jerk the car you are riding around. Some rides have lap bars--causing issues with pregnant or obese people, while other rides have shoulder bars, which prevents obese or those who are too short to ride.
• Since I had neck issues, I made sure that I made a point to keep my head against the back of the ride for support, literally pushing myself back into the seat. It kept my head from bobbling around.
• Believe it or not, the rollercoasters were the least of my worries. Rollercoasters have high backs for support, and they push you back into the seats.
• The worst ride for me at UF, with my neck issue, was The Cat in the Hat. You got it. A kiddie ride hurt my neck more than any other ride.

Tomorrow, I'll break down the rides.

Later, Peeps

Tips and Tricks -- Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida park is set up with different themes, but the themes aren't so different that you need to pay much attention to it. Again, find a map. Study the map before you get to the park. You can pick up a map after you enter the turnstile, but by studying the map you can chose the appropriate ride/shows you and your family wants to visit.


There are quite a few shows--many of them we didn't see--but the rides are phenomenal!

This year, the Transformers ride is new. I never rode it, so I can't help you there. Sorry! Shoot, even Universal hasn't updated their maps online. When they were putting it in, It seemed to be on the lake, as you walk toward Men In Black and the Simpson's rides.

I didn't do this quite right, but click on the picture and it will take you to the YouTube video trailer . . . I hope.

I'll track this park journey straight in from the turnstiles, clockwise around the lake. Some of the shows I won't include, mainly because we never bothered to see them! So there are shows to watch if you want to sit in the Florida heat--check your maps for show times and listings.

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

This is where Jimmy Neutron used to be. You sit on bench seating, which moves with the action on the movie. Totally Awesome Fun!

Minions Rule!

 

Shrek 4-D

Another really fun 'interactive' ride. Stationary seats are available.

 

Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket

This is the red roller coaster that you see throughout the park. It goes straight up and then straight down. . . it looks worse than it really is. The fun part of this ride is that you can pick the music you want to listen to while you ride, everything from Country to Rap.

NO Express Passes

Loose items must be placed in lockers prior to getting in line.

Singles line is open sometimes

 

Twister

This is sort of like a show, but you're standing, so it's not. You might get wet. It's okay, but don't waste your time if you are a ride person . . . ride something else twice.

 

Revenge of the Mummy

A MUST SEE!

This is a wonderful inside roller coaster-type of ride that also tells a story. It's not constant movement as it stops to show you a different part of the story before it continues on the ride.

Loose items must be placed in lockers prior to getting in line.

 

Disaster!

Again, if you're strapped for time, skip this one. I thought it felt like the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios

 

MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack

Lots of fun as you target aliens . . . and other ride cars to earn point! Quick spins and jerkiness depending on who's steering.

Loose items must be placed in lockers prior to getting in line.

 

The Simpsons Ride

Another MUST DO. This ride is totally fun. There are three different levels to this ride and pretty much it's a crap shoot as to which level you get. You ARE in the Simpson's movie.

 

Woody Woodpecker Kid Zone

(Curious George playground, animal shows, Barney, Fievel's Playland, Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster (36" tall)

 

ET Adventures

At the very edge of Woody Woodpecker's Kid Zone. You ride on bicycles to save ET as you ride through the woods, and into the air, as you take ET back to his home planet.

Dated. Fun, but dated.

 

Terminator 2 : 3-D

Part stunt show, part movie, part interactive. It's a lot of fun, but again, if you just miss the show, you will have to wait a long time before the doors open again.

Timing is everything here.



Enjoy the park!

Later, peeps!

Tips and Tips -- Universal Florida -- Islands of Adventure



Islands of Adventure

There are two parks at Universal Florida (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios), plus City Walk, along with three hotels (Hard Rock, Portofino, and Royal Pacific).






As I recommended before, if you stay on site at a Universal hotel, you will get an Express Pass for the days you go to the park. During the busy season, this is critical! Who wants to spend hours waiting in line for one ride??

I don't.

Even with the Express Pass there will be a wait . . . a shorter wait, but still a wait.

And my #1 suggestion?

Don't even bother to go to this park if your kids love roller coasters, but aren't tall enough to ride!

The tallest height required to ride all rides, including the Incredible Hulk, The Dragon Challenge (previously called Dueling Dragons) and Dr. Doom's Fearfall is 54 inches, and the Harry Potter ride is 48 inches.

Measure your kid carefully!

True, there is tons of stuff to do other than roller coasters, but it little Billy's heart is set on riding Harry Potter, but he's only 46 inches, he will be doomed to disappointment! Especially now that that woman fell to her death on the Texas Giant roller coaster. If they can't click you in tightly, you will be removed from the ride.

Embarrassing, yes, but it's better than dying.

Here is a link to download the Universal Maps.

Islands of Adventure

Find a map. Study the map.

And you'll notice the item most visited is up at the top of the map, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Top of the map means at the back of the park. The shortest way is through Seuss Landing, just keep walking to the right . . . and follow the crowd.

I'll talk to you about this area when I get to it later in the blog.

Breaking down the park, section by section, I'll starting with the first zone to your right after you enter the park.

Seuss Landing.

As you might have figured out, this area is all things Dr. Seuss, it's main function is to keep little tykes entertained. We rode all the rides. It's fun, but not exactly the type of fun we roller coaster people crave.

Sorry, but there is one ride with a minimum height requirement:

The High in the Sky Trolley Ride--34 inches--

above the walkways, like a small roller coaster

Caro-Seuss-el--

merry-go-round

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish--

wet goofiness

The Cat in the Hat--

inside ride, tells story

If I Ran the Zoo--

outside play area

 

The Lost Continent



 

Sorry, but we tend to walk right through this area. We did see the Eight Voyage of Sinbad, and tried to see Poseidon's Fury, but it shut down--thunderstorm, yanno.

The Eight Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show--

self explanatory-- stunt show

The Mystic Fountain--

never found it, okay, never looked for it!

Poseidon's Fury--

special effects guided tour

 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 

Everyone wants to visit Hogsmead Village. You have to go through the village to get to the Harry Potter ride, take your time later to walk around after you go for a ride. Take time to look in the windows, go into the stores and sample Butterbeer. I personally like the regular Butterbeer over the frozen variety. You can also eat at the Three Broomsticks. The last time we went, they wouldn't let you just look around the Three Broomsticks, you had to buy something--you can get Pumpkin Juice or Butterbeer in here, along with a variety of meals.

 

If you want to visit Ollivander's wand shop, you have to wait for the 'show'. About 20 people are let in at a time . . . and it's a VERY tight space. One lucky kiddo is chosen to pick a wand. Yes, it's identical to the movie scene. The you then shuffle into the gift shop . . . another tight fit. Lots and lots of really cool stuff. Be prepared to pry open your wallet. Last year, a wizard's robe cost around $100.

 





 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey --

This the ride you want to ride. Think of it as a compilation of the first four books/movies rolled into one. Be aware that ALL LOOSE ARTICLES MUST BE PUT IN A LOCKER, prior to getting in line. This means purses, cameras, backpacks, etc.

*Recommendations: Go through the line to experience the castle and the show. Once you go through the line and want to ride again, find the singles line.

There are NO EXPRESS PASSES.*

Flight of the Hippogriff --
A fun little roller coaster for all members of the family. Travels past Hagrid's hut and the nest of the hippogriff.
Dragon Challenge --
This used to be called Dueling Dragons. Not much has changed with this double roller coaster, except how the path winds to the door of the castle--You'll see Ron's flying car. The dragons are the red or the blue. They are both fun coasters with loop-de-loops, but I think the red side is a little better.

Jurassic Park

 

This section of the park has an 'educational' feel to it. There are two additional areas, one is the Discovery center, where you can grow and hatch your own dino egg, plus other interesting stuff. There is also a jewelry store that has a variety of amber products--not surprising, and no, I didn't see any mosquitos sealed in the amber. The other area is a kid's playground, called Camp Jurassic.

Jurassic Park River Adventure --

Fun boat ride with drop, you will get wet

Pteranodon Flyers --

Two-person 'fliers' that you ride above the walkways. Fun, but mainly for kids. Adults MUST be accompanied by a kid to ride.

 

Toon Lagoon

 

This is a fun area. Until last summer, we usually walked right through this area since we don't like walking around wet. If you plan to ride these rides, plan to bring a change of clothes. Oh, the janitorial service is hard-core about NOT letting you use the hand dryers to dry yourself. For a small fee, there are drying booths available around both these rides. There is also a play area called Me Ship, THE OLIVE. Yes, it's a boat. 

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls --

serious log flume ride.  Very fun, but you WILL GET SOAKING WET

Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges--

raft ride, You WILL GET SOAKING WET

 

Marvel Super Hero Island

 

This is a fun area, too. The rides are a little more intense than some of the other areas. If you have health issues or little kids, you will probably want to sit this section out.

Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man--

Very cool indoor 3-D ride. It does jerk your car around, so if  you have neck issues, you need to be warned.

Doctor Doom's Fearfall--

Zips you into the air and then drops you. If you liked Tower of Terror, you'll like this one. Great view at the top.

Storm Force Accelatron --

spinning teacups type of ride

The Incredible Hulk Coaster--

This coaster is literally a monster! Fast acceleration, lots of loops and spins. I've ridden this ride over 10 times and every time, I tend to black out a for a couple of seconds. Must use the lockers to store loose items.

 



 That's it for this side of Universal Florida!

 

I'll post about the other side tomorrow.

 

Later, Peeps!

 

Wally World Tips and Tricks -- part two

We're talking Walt Disney World in Florida here, not Wal-Mart . . . though I do have some suggestions how to survive the trip to that particular Wally World and it usually involves copious amounts of adult beverages, or going there when the rest of the world is asleep.

So if you bought the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and cracked open the pages, you should be totally overwhelmed right about now.

Break it down.

• If you already have your trip scheduled don't bother to look at the section that talks about planning your trip
• If you have a hotel, then don't bother looking at the hotels section right now.
• If you aren't going to visit Universal or SeaWorld, skip those sections
• Only read the sections that pertain to you and your family

There are a few things I can guarantee: it will be HOT, HUMID, CROWDED, and YOU WILL WALK MORE THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU COULD EVER WALK. Get used to the concept before you read any more.

Again, I'll reiterate, if you stay on WDW property, you will have access to their transportation: Bus, boats, or monorails. Or a car if you rented or drove one.

If you are staying off site, you will have to drive to each park.

For the most part, there are advantages/disadvantages with each hotel in relation to the various parks.
Just to clarify, WDW has FOUR parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot, while Universal has TWO: Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

Universal is simple in the fact that if you drive to the park, you must park in their parking garage and walk through City Walk to the entrances of both parks, roughly 1/2 mile or more, depending where you parked. IMO: Islands of Adventure is slightly closer to the car park than the Studios. BUT if you are staying onsite at one of their hotels, you must travel by boat, rickshaw, or foot to the parks. The boats run on a schedule, which means if you missed one, you might have a 10-15 minute wait for the next boat.

The two Universal parks are very close to each other, only a 5-10 minute walk. Yes, we've park hopped many, many times.

In WDW, the parks are quite a distance from the other parks--with the exception of Magic Kingdom and Epcot. You can go back and forth, provided you have a park hopper pass, simply by climbing on the Monorail.

This is where the location of your onsite hotel plays a big role. A few examples:

• If you stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can walk to the Animal Kingdom park.
• If you stay at Wilderness Lodge, you can take a boat across Bay Lake to the park . . . or ride a bus
• If you stay at the Yacht and Beach Club, you can walk to the back entrance of Epcot, AND you can take a boat to Hollywood Studios.

BUT there are some disadvantages to using WDW transportation system.

• If you miss the boat or bus, or whatever, you might have to wait 10-20 minutes for the next one.
• Depending on your hotel, the transportation might have to stop one or more times to pick up visitors from other hotels. The same is true when you return from a park.
• The boats are slow. Yes, it's fun, but be aware that these are not speed boats, and must go slowly to their destinations.
• If you decide to 'beat the rush' after the fireworks and hurry to catch the bus, realize that many times they STOP transporting visitors and will wait until AFTER the show to even board the buses. Yes, you can see them waiting across the parking lot, while you are hot, sweaty and cranky and would kill for a little AC.
• Bay Lake has a little electric light show almost nightly. If you happen to take your boat home at that time, be prepared to wait.

Which is why we tend to drive our rental car to the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Sometimes we'll take the transportation, but you have to be mentally prepared for the waits. Parking at the Magic Kingdom is at the Ticket and Transportation center, and you will have the option of taking the Monorail, bus, or paddleboat to the Magic Kingdom entrance. Epcot is drivable, but you do have to walk through Future World to get to the countries in the back of Epcot.

It all depends on your particular vacation agenda.

There are a few things that you should prepare for, and I've already mentioned them at the beginning of this blog:

• It's hot and humid-- if you are in Florida in the summer, plan to be hot and sweaty. If you come from a cooler climate, then you need to start sitting in a sauna to get used to the heat.
• It's crowded -- it used to be less crowded during the offseason, or shoulder season, but too many visitors are taking advantage of Disney deals to fill up their hotels during the slow months. Anymore, there aren't any slow months. Just be aware that you will be up close and personal with people who aren't your immediate family. Wear your deodorant.
• Walking -- you will be walking miles and miles . . . and miles! One day we park hopped three parks and walked close to 20 miles! Do yourself and your family a favor and start walking at home. One--you need to get used to the exercise, two--you need to break your shoes in. I will never understand people who wear flip-flops to an amusement park, but some people have to after they wore brand new sneakers to a park and ended up with feet covered in blisters. Make the little ones walk, too. Strollers must be parked, and the kids need to learn to walk to get on the particular ride. Unless you enjoy carting a 30 pounds of a hot, sweaty and wiggly child, then make them walk!
• Keep hydrated -- again, it's hot and humid, drink plenty of water.  
• Bring lots of $$ -- drinks and snacks are expensive in the parks. It's a fact. Get used to the idea. If you decide to do their meal deals, it's up to you to calculate whether or not it is advantageous for your family's needs.
• Go early to the parks -- I know you're on vacation and want to sleep in, but going early will beat the heat and some of the crowds. After the first wave of crowds hit the turnstiles, it will calm down until late morning when the rest of the hotel guests will roll out of bed to join you.

That's it for today. The next few blogs will focus on the various parks.

And yes, I did make a spreadsheet of the various rides for when the kidlet was little. The spreadsheet had the height requirements, and whether or not it was a dark ride, or a rollercoaster, and if water was involved (for me. I don't like getting wet.).

Planning and an awareness of the rides helps you to decide if it is something you want to do or not.

Later, Peeps!

Wally World Tips and Tricks--part one

I drafted this blog last summer as soon as we returned from Florida, but I never got around to posting it . . .  probably because I never wrote part two! I'll work on part two this weekend and post it next week some time. Hope this helps!

So you are planning to go to Walt Disney World (WDW)? Or Universal Florida (UF)?

Then you better be prepared with more than a wallet stuffed full of money!

I have so much information to share that this might take more than one blog to do it in. In the past, I've shared a few 'must do' secrets, but if you have to go to these parks smack dab in the busy season, then you really need to follow my tips and tricks.

If you have never been to these parks, the first thing you need to do is go out and buy the UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD. No, I am not associated with this book, nor I do not get any financial recompense for recommending this book. It's just a good book that CRAMS loads of information on every page. And I highly recommend you start reading this book 6-8 months PRIOR to your vacation. Yes, there is that much information to be had. The last version that I bought--2007--is about 2-inches thick with tiny font, plus it had added information about Universal Studios. I don't know if the newer books provide that information.

I'll tell you up front--the book is overwhelming--true, there's tons of information, but you have to sift through the words to find what's important for you and your family.

AND this will change as your family becomes older and your preferences change. For example: going to these parks with little kids is totally different than going to them with pre-teens.

Before you even contemplate going to either one of these parks, see if you can pull your kid from school to hit the parks during 'shoulder season'. Shoulder season is off season, usually when the kiddos are in school, but the windows of time are narrowing. The key thing to remember is that the crowds are lighter, the lines aren't as long, the temperature cooler, and it might be just a little bit cheaper.

Getting there--this last year, we drove. It was it's own adventure reminiscent of the road trip I took in my youth. Kids have it so easy now with electronic gadgets and gizmos, while I had to play I SPY or read while I was that age.

Driving was fun, but time-consuming and boring. I don't know if hubby crunched the numbers, but with the added gasoline/hotel/meals I don't know if we saved any money driving vs. flying, or not. Part of the reason we drove was so the kidlet could go to the beach. We went to two different beaches, so that part was worth it.

In the past when we flew, we would board a plane at 5-6 AM, arrive in Atlanta at 2.5 hours, board another flight to Orlando, rent a car and be eating Wendy's no later than 1 PM. Many times we would be in our hotel and on a ride three hours later. The added expense of a rental car is slightly offset by the convenience of having a car and not having to rely on the park transportation to get you to the individual parks.

Hotels--I'm spoiled here. We have always stayed at an on-site hotel. We stay at the Portofino when at Universal, and this last time at WDW we stayed at the Beach Club, which is walking distance from Epcot, instead of the Wilderness Lodge (still my favorite hotel!). I don't care where you stay because during the crowded season, you can expect most of your hotel costs to DOUBLE! BUT there are a few advantages to staying on-site.

• If you're simply comparing room sizes to outside hotels then you are doing yourself a disfavor because you need to factor in the experience and convenience of being onsite. For example: if you stay at the Wilderness Lodge, you will feel like you are visiting Yellowstone National Park. And when you travel to the Magic Kingdom, you go by boat, which is a fun experience! When at the Beach Club, you can walk to the back entrance of Epcot. Staying at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Contemporary, then you can ride the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. And WDW has a fleet of buses that travel from all hotels to the various parks.
• If stay on site and you do drive your car to the parks, you don't have to pay a parking fee at those parks, which can save you $16/day/park (2014).

Staying onsite at the Universal hotels will provide you with an Express Pass voucher for the days you are in the park. Of course, for those people who don't stay at one of their hotels, UF offers a variety of options for the Express pass--the cost depends on the estimated crowd levels and time of year. The more crowded it is, the more an Express pass will cost. Click on their site to find out what a daily pass is for X amount of people in your family--and then decide if it's more beneficial to stay at an on-site hotel or not!

• Again, trust me, the extra cost of an onsite hotel is totally worth the advantage of Express Passing the long lines, plus getting into the park an hour early to the Harry Potter experience and Transformers.
• You can walk to the parks (NOT recommended if you're at the Portofino as you will get plenty of walking at the parks!), or take a bike taxi, or wait for the boat.

That's it for today. I'll have a few more suggestions in a few more days!
. . . and will probably remember a few that I forgot about when I wrote this blog!

Later, Peeps!

Did y'all miss me?

Probably not.

But that's okay. I pre-wrote all my blogs and had every intention of sending it to my accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Google) and commenting, but that was before I discovered my hubster's new Google pad wasn't totally able to function, plus we didn't have Internet access and had to use his cell to connect to satellites.

Don't ask.

I usually don't. I just nod my head like I understand and say, "uh-huh, yes, honey" Trust me, it's easier my way, otherwise, he'll go into some truly geek-tech jargon and I'm totally lost.

Anyhoo--We went on vacation for nine days, arriving back home late Sunday,the night before my kidlet had her first day of school. But she seems to have weathered her lack of sleep just fine.

We enjoyed a nice vacation in the land of heat, humidity, afternoon thunderstorms and love bugs (though they aren’t in their *love- making* time of the year . . . that’s usually late September), in other words, FLORIDA. I managed to read 2.5 books on the airplane and during our ‘downtime’--when we left the parks early and missed the thunderstorms :-) As much as I love my Kindle, I hate the fact that I had to turn it off during takeoffs and landings. Bummer.

On the writing related front, I managed to think out story #2 in my quadrology--how does a hunky pirate ghost sound? So exciting! To that end, I just ordered four pirate books. Arr, me mateys!
When we go to DisneyWorld and Universal, we walk A LOT.  Anyhoo, this year, my feet survived!! Yay! No blisters! Last year, I had blisters upon blisters, blisters upon calluses and walking was totally NOT FUN. The feet relief was due in part to my wonderful New Balance sneaks with a metatarsal insert AND my rigid walking regime over the last two months. I didn’t wear a pedometer this time around, but I know we easily clocked 10+ miles per day as we tend to walk quickly from one ride to the next one and then walk to another park to do it all over again!

Aug. and Sept, are big months for Latin American and Brit visitors, though the Brits outnumbered the LA’s this time around. It was fun listening to the accents and trying to figure out where they were from. I'm not as good with the Spanish speaking cultures, but English, yes. I also heard Italian, French and a small variety of Germanic languages.

Overhead view of Harry Potter experience

First we visited both parks at Universal , enjoying the Harry Potter experience--a MUST DO, if you get a chance to go--as much as possible considering the area was seriously jammed with people. Srsly, they had to shut that section of the park off because it was over populated. We rode numerous rollercoasters over and over and over again. The blue and red are dueling coasters in the Dragon Challenge, the snow-covered buildings are Hogsmeade, and, of course, Hogwarts is the castle/ride.

*NOTE TO SELF* Do NOT drink butterbeer and then ride the HULK rollercoaster without seriously belching A LOT. Sorry, if that was TMI, but it had to be mentioned—and no, I didn’t get sick. . . just burped a lot, though we did see someone tossing cookies into a trashcan after the 3-D Spiderman ride—not a coaster, but a simulator--what a wuss . . .

After 2.5 days at Universal, we drove to the Wilderness Lodge to enjoy the Disney parks for six days.

Wilderness Lodge from Pool

Disney. . . what can I say? 

Nope it would take up too much room to write it down, you just have to go and experience it. We did the meal plan again this year—basically pre-paid food (one table service{entrée, dessert}, one counter service, and one snack per day per night in a Disney hotel). And yes, I was scared I would go crazy over the food, but I didn’t. If the family got Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, I got a water and ate a Mickey ear and savored the delish bite. I did force myself to eat dessert with our table service coupons. And with all the walking, albeit much standing, I only gained 1.4 lbs upon my weigh-in 12 hours after we flew back into town. All in all, I’m very happy with it. I’m back on track and fully believe I’ll lose that weight gain by next week—

But then again, my 50th B-D is on Monday and hubster made a reservation at Flemings . . . I’ll just weigh-in PRIOR to my B-D dinner. :-)Yeah, I like that plan.
Well, time to go and use my new Mickey Mouse French Coffee press. Cute, huh?

TTFN {Tigger speak for TA-TA FOR NOW}