DisneyQuest
Heffalumps and woozles...
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2005
Our flight touched down last night at midnight, and like the optimistic fool I am, I didn't book today off work! So, sleepily nestled in my home office, writing my trip resort sounds far more productive....
The Cast and Setting:
Me: 31, planner of all things Disney
My dear now-official fiancé, 50, drinking the Disney kool-aid down
8/18 - 8/20: Universal's Royal Pacific, Club Level
8/20 - 8/26: Beach Club, Club Level
NOTE: My DF proposed to me last year, when we still lived on opposite sides of the country. We decided when we were living together, we would together design a ring. Now, I spent my early career in jewellery and still have many connections in the industry. So for the past few weeks, I had been negotiating a stone from a "friend". Ring barely arrived in time for our departure, and I wasn't allowed to see it until he officially proposed, so the suspense was killing me! However, the joke of "is that a rock in your pocket or..." never seemed to get old!
The First Day....
We were lucky enough to score an early morning flight out of Toronto, which touched us down into Orlando at 11 am on a Monday morning. Now, unfortunately since we live no where near the TO airport, we crawled out of bed at 3 to be at the airport. However, this is vacation time! Bright eyed, bushy tailed and giddy, we crawled try rough customs, security and sprinted to the Duty Free to help the most magical place on earth appear even better. 2 bottles of vodka nestled at my feet, we were off!
Snog, sneer, snore - we've landed! I looked at my phone, knowing I normally would be on a conference call that makes the Mad Hatter seem sane and giggled. Off in a less than magical cab, with a slightly surly driver and we pull up to the Royal Pacific. Now, I've stayed at Universal HRH (not CL), but DF had never been. I had high expectations for their CL service and was immediately disappointed.
There is no CL specific check-in area or line, so you're waiting with the masses who are checking out. The lobby is also not set-up in a way that allows a line-up to form without it being run-over by guests trying to get their Express Passes. The front desk attendant was nice enough, but mentioned the club level amenities as an after-thought. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we grabbed our park passes, our Express passes and walked over to Islands of Adventure.
Through the gates. Whew. It's hot.
"Hey honey, what's that?" DF points at the Hulk. "Nothing. Scenery. Look at the little animatronic people on it. Very impressive. Let's keep moving." I reply, not wanting my first ride to be my last. "Look, Spider-Man!" I waive the Express Pass at the attendant and DF immediately has the shiny object syndrome, distracted from the hulk....for now.
Let me break and say - I LOVE EXPRESS PASS! It is worth staying on-site at Universal just for the perk. And while it's not necessary on every ride, it is nice to hurry past the crowds on the bigger rides. And I'm using it on the Cat-in-the-hat darn it!
We toured around Islands of Adventure for a bit, riding everything except the Hulk, Duelling Dragons and Harry Potter. Hahn, Harry Potter World. So that's where the crowds are hiding! Stopping for lunch at the Jurassic Park counter service area, we got a text that our room was ready! Hot, sweaty, parched, we trudged back the hotel. I could feel a slight twinge of a blister between my toes and patted DF's cargo short pocket... The ring was still there. I poked him and asked if there was anything he needed to ask me. He nodded - "where's the beer?"
Off to the room - king bed, simple design but what an AMAZING view. Just stunning. Off to the CL lounge...where Universal lost all their brownie points for the view.
First, the lounge is actually quite beautiful. Spacious, with great views and amazingly good food offerings. It pains me to admit it, but their food blows Disney CL out of the water on the food front. The problem I found? The staff.
DF goes up to the bar to claim his beer - 2 drinks per person at a time, no problem. I was filling my plate with veggies. Mmmm, fresh veggies are in shorter supply than A & E FP's. The lounge attendant asked DF who he was with, and he pointed at me. She then took his two beers back and said she needed to see my ID. Thinking she meant our CL hotel key, I showed it to her, looking confused. She said no, my drivers license. I then realized that she thought DF was trying to get alcohol for me, and she assumed I was underage. I showed her my drivers license and she sheepishly handed the beer back. I was livid. I have no issue being ID'd when I order, but to imply my DF was breaking the rules? Ugh!
Whoops, Mad Hatter style conference call, rest of this post to follow!
The Cast and Setting:
Me: 31, planner of all things Disney
My dear now-official fiancé, 50, drinking the Disney kool-aid down
8/18 - 8/20: Universal's Royal Pacific, Club Level
8/20 - 8/26: Beach Club, Club Level
NOTE: My DF proposed to me last year, when we still lived on opposite sides of the country. We decided when we were living together, we would together design a ring. Now, I spent my early career in jewellery and still have many connections in the industry. So for the past few weeks, I had been negotiating a stone from a "friend". Ring barely arrived in time for our departure, and I wasn't allowed to see it until he officially proposed, so the suspense was killing me! However, the joke of "is that a rock in your pocket or..." never seemed to get old!
The First Day....
We were lucky enough to score an early morning flight out of Toronto, which touched us down into Orlando at 11 am on a Monday morning. Now, unfortunately since we live no where near the TO airport, we crawled out of bed at 3 to be at the airport. However, this is vacation time! Bright eyed, bushy tailed and giddy, we crawled try rough customs, security and sprinted to the Duty Free to help the most magical place on earth appear even better. 2 bottles of vodka nestled at my feet, we were off!
Snog, sneer, snore - we've landed! I looked at my phone, knowing I normally would be on a conference call that makes the Mad Hatter seem sane and giggled. Off in a less than magical cab, with a slightly surly driver and we pull up to the Royal Pacific. Now, I've stayed at Universal HRH (not CL), but DF had never been. I had high expectations for their CL service and was immediately disappointed.
There is no CL specific check-in area or line, so you're waiting with the masses who are checking out. The lobby is also not set-up in a way that allows a line-up to form without it being run-over by guests trying to get their Express Passes. The front desk attendant was nice enough, but mentioned the club level amenities as an after-thought. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we grabbed our park passes, our Express passes and walked over to Islands of Adventure.
Through the gates. Whew. It's hot.
"Hey honey, what's that?" DF points at the Hulk. "Nothing. Scenery. Look at the little animatronic people on it. Very impressive. Let's keep moving." I reply, not wanting my first ride to be my last. "Look, Spider-Man!" I waive the Express Pass at the attendant and DF immediately has the shiny object syndrome, distracted from the hulk....for now.
Let me break and say - I LOVE EXPRESS PASS! It is worth staying on-site at Universal just for the perk. And while it's not necessary on every ride, it is nice to hurry past the crowds on the bigger rides. And I'm using it on the Cat-in-the-hat darn it!
We toured around Islands of Adventure for a bit, riding everything except the Hulk, Duelling Dragons and Harry Potter. Hahn, Harry Potter World. So that's where the crowds are hiding! Stopping for lunch at the Jurassic Park counter service area, we got a text that our room was ready! Hot, sweaty, parched, we trudged back the hotel. I could feel a slight twinge of a blister between my toes and patted DF's cargo short pocket... The ring was still there. I poked him and asked if there was anything he needed to ask me. He nodded - "where's the beer?"
Off to the room - king bed, simple design but what an AMAZING view. Just stunning. Off to the CL lounge...where Universal lost all their brownie points for the view.
First, the lounge is actually quite beautiful. Spacious, with great views and amazingly good food offerings. It pains me to admit it, but their food blows Disney CL out of the water on the food front. The problem I found? The staff.
DF goes up to the bar to claim his beer - 2 drinks per person at a time, no problem. I was filling my plate with veggies. Mmmm, fresh veggies are in shorter supply than A & E FP's. The lounge attendant asked DF who he was with, and he pointed at me. She then took his two beers back and said she needed to see my ID. Thinking she meant our CL hotel key, I showed it to her, looking confused. She said no, my drivers license. I then realized that she thought DF was trying to get alcohol for me, and she assumed I was underage. I showed her my drivers license and she sheepishly handed the beer back. I was livid. I have no issue being ID'd when I order, but to imply my DF was breaking the rules? Ugh!
Whoops, Mad Hatter style conference call, rest of this post to follow!
