Scooby Doo, Sand and Starbucks...our first trip to Universal **updated 4/15**

Such a super report and great pictures!

I’m still in for this read

Thanks for joining in :wave2:. Just working on the report for the next day of my trip.


Super day!!!!

I have that Scooby too.......

I`m with you on the outlet centre........I don't think it`s worth visiting anymore.......I did get a Coach bag once, but that was it.......really enjoying reading about your trip!!

I was a bit defeated with the shopping after the outlet mall, but a couple of days later we stopped at a shopping centre outside Tampa on our way to North Port and I managed to get everything on my "USA Shopping List" in one stop which was fabulous. :banana: Well except one thing but it is something I can find at home, was just hoping for a really good deal (new gym shoes).

Scooby is our absolute favourite and that stuffie is just really, really super cute. I may have been encouraging/enabling that purchase... ::yes::
 
Really enjoying your trip report and pictures! I'm dying to do the Raptor meet - will have to add it to my "must do" list! I was also curious about shopping at the outlet mall, wondering if it was worth it?
 
Really enjoying your trip report and pictures! I'm dying to do the Raptor meet - will have to add it to my "must do" list! I was also curious about shopping at the outlet mall, wondering if it was worth it?

Thanks for following along :). I think it would really depend on what you were looking for and if you had the extra time whether the outlet mall was worthwhile. If you are just wanting to go and wander around and see if you can find anything of interest, then probably some good deals to be found. We were short on time and I was looking for something pretty specific so it probably wasn't the best place for me to be looking. I had much better luck at a regular mall a couple days later in the trip. (But was specifically looking for a couple stores that we don't have in Canada or at least don't have a location near me).
 
Monday, March 12th


This was the one day of our trip that was calling for rain. When we got up, it was still dry, but definitely looked like rain was coming, so we got out our raincoats and got ready to head to US. DS wasn’t really feeling like cereal that morning, so we decided we’d get him something in the parks that morning. Just as we got to the gates, it started sprinkling, then by the time we got around to Springfield the skies had opened up and it was pouring. We headed over to Diagon Alley and DS wanted to go into Sugarplum’s Sweetshop to buy a chocolate wand, jelly beans and to buy a second Chocolate Frog for his best friend. After that DH and DS went on Gringott’s while I tried to stay dry and wait for the dragon to breathe fire so I could take photos. Once they were out DS was hungry so we went to The Leaky Cauldron and got him some breakfast. He had the American Breakfast and I ordered a croissant and a coffee. DH wasn’t hungry so he didn’t get anything. The breakfast was large and we noticed a lot of people leaving a lot of food on their plates when they left. The family of three next to us shared one which seemed like a great idea for smaller appetite’s. I thought the croissant was ok, the coffee was terrible, but I could have predicted I’d not like it as I like really strong coffee and typically restaurant coffee is not that. By the time we were done, the rain had stopped but it was still overcast.

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We wandered around the park a bit, checking out the Irish shop which seemed like such an odd assortment of items for a theme park but had some neat things, the Tonight Show Store (I was terrified the giant hashtag was going to come to life!), the Christmas store which I was hoping to find an ornament but nothing caught my eye. We ended up by the Transformers entrance, so DH and DS decided to go on it. DH was a bit whoozy after it, but fine. He said he definitely felt jostled around after Gringott’s and Transformers. While they were in the ride, I found what we had been waiting for……Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc gang. The Simpson’s were also out for a meet and greet, but we were singularly focused.


DS had worn his new Scooby Doo shirt in hopes of finding Scooby today, so we headed down and got in line. We were maybe the 8th family in line when we got there. After about two families they announced that Fred, Velma and Daphne would be leaving after the next family, and Scooby and Shaggy would take a quick break and be right back out. This was fine for us, as Scooby and Shaggy were definitely who we wanted to meet. Shaggy came over and was assuring everyone in line that they would be right back after he took “his dog for a walk”. He saw DS’s shirt and ran over and gave him a big hug and told him how much he loved it. They were gone for maybe 5 minutes and back out and we quickly were up to the front of the line. Well Scooby also thought DS’s shirt was awesome. They had quite the fun interaction with Shaggy asking DS where he was from “Canada”…. are there any monsters or yetis there? “No”……. is there good food there “Yes”. They thought Canada sounded pretty good. They took several pictures including pretending there were monsters coming. This was absolutely the best character interaction we’ve ever had and were so glad DS wore his Scooby shirt. Shaggy was incredible and did a fantastic job of portraying his character. I remember reading Schumi’s reports saying how wonderful the Mystery Inc gang are and I could not agree more. This was definitely the highlight of our trip.

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After this, we headed out to Citywalk for some lunch at Breadbox again - same as the previous day for DS and I (veggie and a ham and brie minus the brie). DH tried the Tomato and Mozzarella which was good but his least favourite of the three he tried as it was a bit soggy due to a heavy hand on the balsamic glaze. After lunch DS and I played a round of mini golf while it rained a bit on and off. Definitely a fun mini golf course and was nice that it wasn’t busy mid-day so we didn’t wait at all. We paid for 36 holes as it was a bit of a price break and they said that if we didn’t want to play the second 18 then that we could come back anytime to play again.

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After mini golf we headed over to Toothsome as DS had been wanting milkshake for the last couple days, but when we had gone over the one evening after supper at Margaritaville, the lineup was outrageous. Midday there was no line on the takeout side. DS got the Marshmallow Crisp and started giggling when it came out and he saw how huge it was. He made me take a picture and text to his Aunt back home who is pregnant and craving ice cream. She was definitely jealous. In spite of fake whipped cream, it was delicious. I had a bit of it as there was no way he was finishing it alone and it was a quite a good milkshake. We asked fora container to take the rice crispy in and he had that for a snack later. While we were sitting waiting for him to drink it I did the US to CDN $ conversion which I typically don’t do while we are away - I just enjoy and don’t worry too much as I have a good idea of how much food costs while we are away for the three of us and budget accordingly. Well this was an $18 milkshake (in CDN $) which is now how I refer to the milkshake. Would definitely do it again, but it is a once per trip kinda treat partially due to the ridiculous amount of calories they contain and partially due to the $. It made DS’s day and that was what was important.

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DH had slept terribly the night before so we headed back to the hotel so we could rest. After a while DS and I were ready to do something so we went to tour the hotel. The sun had come out by this time and was a beautiful afternoon. We played a couple games of bocce by the Villa Pool, checked out the lobby and the balcony looking over the Piazza and checked out all the stores. When we got back to the room DH was up and said he would take DS swimming as I had to phone Westjet to deal with an issue regarding our flights (on the way down I couldn’t do online check in and was trying to sort out why as I wasn’t confident they fixed it at the airport when we flew to Orlando). Once I got that sorted out I joined them at the pool.



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We decided we didn’t want to go into the parks so had supper at Sal’s. DS had the Salvatore again and DH and I had the farm pesto minus the chicken. The Farm Pesto was excellent but had a horrifying amount of whole garlic on it that I would not consider to be roasted as they say in the description. They put whole garlic on the pizza but definitely not roasted ahead so it was barely cooked by the time we got the pizza and was a really ridiculous amount - between the two small pizza’s there was probably the equivalent of two full large bulbs of garlic. Both DH and I love garlic but ended up picking it all off. I said if we ate it all we’d have to get separate hotel rooms as there’s no way we’d be able to stand being in the same room!

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After supper we got DS settled in the room watching TV and playing on his iPad and DH and I went for a short walk because I wanted to stretch my legs and get a bit more walking in - up to HRH to check it out and look around. We were gone about an hour and then made a quick stop at Starbucks for me then back to the room where we rented a movie and relaxed for our last night at PHB.
 


Tuesday, March 13th and Wednesday, March 14th

This was the day we were heading offsite to the gulf coast (specifically North Port, FL). Thought I would share a couple highlights in case anyone else was looking at exploring a bit of the non theme park side of Florida.

Big Bend Power Station Manatee Viewing

This was a free viewing centre open from November to April to see the manatees that congregate at the outflow (warm water) from the Big Bend Power Station. Clearly done as a public relations project by TECO (Tampa Electric) it was a very worthwhile stop with easy access and good signage from I4. The viewing centre is well put together and educational. Lots of displays to check out and several viewing platforms. Plenty of parking albeit not a lot in the main lot and the overflow is a bit of a walk up to the main area (nice well maintained walk way). They do have a golf cart that runs between the overflow parking if mobility is an issue for anyone. Suggest going on a cooler day as the manatees will be congregating in the warm water. Apparently if it is warmer out they may be further out and not up closer where there is warm water.

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Stump Pass Beach State Park

This was another highlight of the trip. We were taken here by the family we were visiting and were so glad they took us. This was a beautiful beach south of Siesta Key but north of Sanibel and Captiva (but in that chain). We took a 1.3 mile walk out to the southern point of the key, then back along the beach. The water along the inner coastal waterway was beautiful turquoise and there were all kinds of birds. Once we got out to the beach there were shells everywhere as well as sharks teeth. We saw dolphins not too far off the gulf side, apparently just missing them at the south end of the key by about 20 minutes which would have given a much better view. Parking was $3 and there were restrooms at the parking lot as well as paddle board rentals. It was quite a busy spot with sunbathers, people fishing, and using boats etc. We had been to Siesta Key previously which was spectacular but was more touristy. This was much more of a nature hike.

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We also went back to the beach later in the evening to watch the sun set off on the gulf coast. We ended up at a pier behind the Venice Airport and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this.

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These were the highlights of these two days aside from a couple of shopping stops for me (mall outside Tampa where I got most of my shopping list done in one stop) and Sarasota Town Centre for the Fabletics store which both more than made up for the disappointment of the outlet mall.
 
Lovely pictures!!!

Shame about the rain, but it did brighten up for you........Scooby meets are among the best, your son looks so cute in them......

Love the power station pics.......I`m not a nature watcher, so it`s quite sad I found pics of the power station fascinating......:rotfl:but love your beach pictures........they are lovely.......

It`s so nice to see your pictures of something different..........:thumbsup2
 
Lovely pictures!!!

Shame about the rain, but it did brighten up for you........Scooby meets are among the best, your son looks so cute in them......

Love the power station pics.......I`m not a nature watcher, so it`s quite sad I found pics of the power station fascinating......:rotfl:but love your beach pictures........they are lovely.......

It`s so nice to see your pictures of something different..........:thumbsup2

I found the power station quite fascinating too - and a bit amusing that there was this lovely nature centre with the power station in the background. I made DH and DS pose for a photo with it in the background. We all really like seeing different things on vacation so this was quite a fun stop.
 


Finally getting around to finishing up my trip report :flower:

Thursday morning we had planned to get up and hit the road fairly early to get back to Universal to make the most of the day, but things didn’t quite work out that way after we spent quite a bit of time visiting with the family we were staying with. Once we got on the road, we made our way back to Orlando area with a couple quick stops for Starbucks for me, cold medicine for DH as he had started feeling a cold coming on the previous day, gas and more Starbucks. We encountered a huge back up for no apparent reason around Davenport but once we got through that we started seeing the signs for Disney. After some discussion, we opted for a stop at Disney Springs primarily because DS really wanted something specific from the LEGO store that was an exclusive product (so not available anywhere else). We easily found parking, did a loop of the area around the LEGO store and were blown away by the changes since we were there last. We were all hungry by this time and DH suggested Raglan Road as he had eaten there once before on his own and enjoyed it. We got in right away but this was easily the worst meal of our trip. All three of us ordered fish and chips which came in a newspaper cone in this metal stand, but as soon as the server brought it to the table, he dumped each one onto our plates and took the stand and newspaper away so really not sure what the point of that presentation was. The service was TERRIBLE (she took our order, brought drinks then we never saw her again until I had to track her down to get our bill). The food was adequate at best. Definitely will not be going back.

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After our brief stop, we started towards Royal Pacific Resort taking the route along the Palm Parkway/Turkey Lake Road as it was close to rush hour and I-4 was getting backed up. We were all pleased that the trip was short and soon we were seeing Volcano Bay. We pulled into the lot at Royal Pacific and easily found parking near the top of the lot.

Headed to check in where I was pleased to get a birthday button and a nice card from the hotel with a coupon for a free dessert. Today was my 42nd birthday and I wore my button proudly and had many birthday wishes throughout the day. Our room was in Tower 3 and didn’t have the greatest view, but I also booked the lowest category so knew that was the chance. I had originally booked club level but then changed as I knew our time at the hotel would be short and that we had dinner plans for my birthday so the club level lounge offerings would be wasted on us when we were planning for big dinner out.

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We got settled in our room, had a short nap, then headed out to Citywalk for another round of mini golf then dinner at Antojitos.

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Dinner was quite good. Chips were fresh and salsa was flavorful but not too spicy for DH and DS. Food came quite quickly in spite of how busy it was. That said I am not sure that I would go again as I found some of their vegetarian offerings a bit odd (whole small button mushrooms in my enchildadas) and DS found the spices a bit intense for his bland 12 year old taste buds but we did enjoy the dinner and glad I chose it for my birthday dinner. The mariachi band was fabulous - very talented - and they sung Happy Birthday to me which was a bit out of my comfort zone, but definitely made for a memorable evening. We finished up sharing the deep fried ice cream for dessert that came out with a birthday candle. After dinner I deemed that we were stopping at Starbucks so I could get an iced latte “because it was my birthday and I could have Starbucks three times if I wanted to”.

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After that stop, we headed over to the boat dock and right onto a boat headed for RPR. We settled into our room for the night at which point we all decided we wanted a bit more dessert and discussed going down to Islands Dining Room or Jake’s but settled on room service. I got the flourless chocolate cake which definitely fit my desire for something chocolatey but had a very weird texture. DH and DS both ordered desserts too but sadly I didn’t take photos of theirs nor do I remember what they had. Room service was very efficient and our desserts came quite quickly and well within the time frame they gave us.

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We soon settled in for the night and had what both DH and I said was our best night of sleep of the entire trip. He wasn’t sure if his was due to the cold medication or not, but I do think it was partially because the bed was so wonderfully comfortable. I just loved these rooms - they just felt very comfortable and in spite of their smaller size than the rooms at PBH didn’t actually feel that much smaller to us. I thought a lot of the extra space at PBH was in the bathroom area and entry hall. It was also a bit tighter between the second bed and the window. But really not an issue for the three of us.
 
Still reading along- I like the pictures of your days away from Universal. It's nice to be able to see life outside the theme parks! Now that our sons are grown and we take couples trips, we like to wander off from Orlando for day trips.
 
Nice update! And glad you had a lovely birthday with lots of well wishes.......

Kyle said they changed the recipe of the flourless chocolate cake last time he had it.......said it wasn’t as “cake like” as before......he still ate it though!!

Yep, beds are comfy........
 
Still reading along- I like the pictures of your days away from Universal. It's nice to be able to see life outside the theme parks! Now that our sons are grown and we take couples trips, we like to wander off from Orlando for day trips.

It did make our trip feel a bit rushed leaving for these two nights mid trip, but so glad we did. Both the stop at the Manatee Viewing Centre and at Stump Pass State Park were well worth the trip and definitely things DH and I would have enjoyed without DS. I would definitely love to go do a bit more exploring other parts of Florida if our travel plans allow adequate time for it. It's neat for us coming from the land locked prairies in the middle of Canada to see the ocean and different things than we would see even if we were to visit the coast here.

Kyle said they changed the recipe of the flourless chocolate cake last time he had it.......said it wasn’t as “cake like” as before......he still ate it though!!

Your dessert looks scrumptious!

It was definitely chocolatey and oh so pretty but what I wouldn't have given for a nice slice of multi layer chocolate cake with frosting. It cake was definitely more of a weird formed pudding than cake which is unfortunate. I still ate every last bite of it though. :D
 
Enjoying the TR! I take it you're from Saskatchewan - I'm from Manitoba.
We have 2 boys about the age of your son and are trying out PBR in couple months.
In the past we have done RPR and HRH.
 

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