WHO YA GONNA CALL" 29 NIGHTS OF GHOSTBUSTERS, MONSTERS & MORE - A 2019 HHN/SFR/RPR TR

Sounds like you had a great start to your vacation!!! And Happy Late Anniversary!!! I think it's wonderful that the employees think of you and Tom as family, not guests!!! :love:

We went to the Not So Scary party a couple years ago... It was fun... Came home with 40 pounds of candy... :rolleyes1 But boy was it crowded!!! And I've heard the parties are getting more crowded each year...

If those new Universal hotels have that many rooms, how crowed were the parks for you this year compared to prior years???

So far, the only house I'd want to go in is the Ghost Busters house... Cute and not scary works for me!!!

That go-pro guy, what a jerk!!! I would have done the same thing and ruined his video every chance I got... I'm glad security took care of him... I really dislike people that think rules/laws don't apply to them... :rolleyes2

Those crowds look crazy busy!!! YIKES!!!! Not a crowd person... I don't mind them all spread out, but not when they're all bunched up like that... Nope, not for me!!!! :scared:

Thank you...yes, we think an awful lot of them too.....they are all so lovely.

40lbs of candy!!!! Wow......I had a couple of friends do the Disney Halloween thing this year and they all said it was crazy and not much fun.....

I`m a little weird....I hate crowds, hate being crushed in a confined area, only do concerts if we have VIP seating or similar due to crowds.......but strangely I love HHN and New York too.....lol.....

Only Endless Summer has opened so far, Dockside is next year.......we didn`t notice any difference this year in crowds for the time of year....some days were busier than others. We were always glad to have EP though, even on quiet days. HHN may be busier than usual next year as it`s the 30th anniversary next year......

Ghostbusters was fun......yes, cute and not scary is exactly how I`d describe it. The go pro guy was unbelievable......the guy behind us was more annoyed than I was though....but yes, I hope security dealt with him ::yes::
 
Carole, we moved in late-April and were without internet (!) in our home for three months until fiber was laid. So I missed your May report. I popped over to start reading it too. And I thought I was reading this one instead when your first-day stop was ABC! :teeth: Love it!

3 months of no internet Cara :scared1: Oh my goodness!!! Couldn't imagine that long without it...…..we go nuts if ours is down for a short time...….

lol.....yes, ABC is our first day stop for a special gift for someone.....and we always end up in there far too long...….:blush:
 
Carole,
I have to admit, I've lurked on this sight all month anxiously awaiting your trip report. I've read all of them but never commented. I just love the photos and how much you and Tom seem to enjoy each other and your fabulous vacations! You were the inspiration for my May mother/daughter trip. We had such a good time on that trip we've decided to make it an annual event! I can't wait to read the rest of the report.

:welcome: along Amber Rush...….glad to see you here...…:)

I`m so happy you`ve come out of lurkdom and posted......and thank you so much for the lovely compliments...…..we do enjoy our time together immensely......and I`ll tell Tom you liked the pictures!!!

That sounds a lovely trip with your daughter, and how lovely it`s going to be regular thing....you`ll have the best of times.

But, hope you enjoy this one and look forward to your comments.....:wave2:
 
Those tequenos are absolutely on my list for January! The look fantastic. Ghostbusters is such a classic, I'm glad they had a fun house! I was telling my husband about HHN last night, and he's intrigued. I think I would be scared to death but in a good way. We're going to have APs so maybe we'll try to fit in an Autumn trip! Reading all your accounts is making me want to go!

They are so nice!!! Although everything Chef Carlos comes up with is wonderful....the man is a genius!

Oh are you considering it then????? I hope so....and next year should be a fabulous year with it being the 30th. I`m absolutely 100% sure your husband would love it...….:rolleyes1:duck:

It is so much fun...…...:wave2:
 


3 months of no internet Cara :scared1: Oh my goodness!!! Couldn't imagine that long without it...…..we go nuts if ours is down for a short time...….

lol.....yes, ABC is our first day stop for a special gift for someone.....and we always end up in there far too long...….:blush:
Carole, it was really awful! But the only other option was super-poor, super-slow service with a two-year contract. And we knew fiber was coming! Personally, I think ABC is a GREAT first stop! :drinking1:thumbsup2 Looking forward to reading more on BOTH reports!
 
Carole, it was really awful! But the only other option was super-poor, super-slow service with a two-year contract. And we knew fiber was coming! Personally, I think ABC is a GREAT first stop! :drinking1:thumbsup2 Looking forward to reading more on BOTH reports!

We are lucky, we have the fastest fibre optic broadband there is in the UK, and you can tell when you visit others who don't have it at times. Not everyone where we live are as fortunate. So, I don't blame you for waiting.....I`d have done the same.....and moved in with friends who do have internet...….:rotfl:

Yes, it`s a great store...…..I do believe we would be alcoholics if we lived over there permanently :blush:......beautiful rums and more....and all at such bargain prices....compared to what we pay anyway...….

That`s a lot of reading, make yourself comfortable and enjoy!!!
 
Hooray for a wonderful travel day and first day! Sounds fun and warm and familiar so far.

And what a lovely welcome you received, especially with the anniversary gift from your friends at Strong Water!

Can't wait to read more! I'm also loving your pictures, of course, as always!
 


But, we did see the updates on the new Dockside Resort which is a monster of a resort.......2050 rooms.....not counting the up and running Endless Summer........just imagining all these people arriving at the one time......

WOWZA! That's a LOT of rooms that don't seem very spread out - do you know what category of resort it will be?
 
Hooray for a wonderful travel day and first day! Sounds fun and warm and familiar so far.

And what a lovely welcome you received, especially with the anniversary gift from your friends at Strong Water!

Can't wait to read more! I'm also loving your pictures, of course, as always!
WOWZA! That's a LOT of rooms that don't seem very spread out - do you know what category of resort it will be?

Thanks, we did enjoy our travel despite it being a long one......and yes, it’s lovely to be back and be made so welcome as always.......

Endless Summer is a value, and Dockside when it opens next year will be the same category. ES is large, but Dockside is just massive.......it’s in two sections as well which makes it seem larger. Both which are Universal properties (not Loews) are aiming to target and increase longer stays than one or two nights. And with the new park opening up, they’ll fill it easily I imagine as the price point will appeal to lots of families.

I’m so glad you are enjoying it, next day will be up soon :wave2:
 
What a fun report! I’m so enjoying following your trip, it’s making me excited for upcoming trip next month!

Thank you.......I’m so glad you’re here and yes, it is exciting you have your trip next month!!!

I’m so looking forward to reading all about it........ :wave2:
 
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH



Another fabulous sleep behind us, we awoke feeling good and not jetlagged which is always a good thing. Jetlag is weird as you just can`t do anything until it passes.....and it hits like a brick when you do get it. Not fun......but we did feel refreshed......although to be honest we had no real firm plans today at all.

I sent Kyle a message asking if he wanted to chat today, but he was busy and said tomorrow would be good, so that's what we would do......so, we got showered and dressed and headed over to RP for breakfast and we knew Kayla, the Concierge manager was in today and she`d be up to see us. We only met her last September but we got on like a house on fire....she is so like the lady who was our best friend in many ways, similar mannerisms and outlook which is refreshing to see, and she is so funny!!! We like her a lot.

We do enjoy the walk over from one hotel to the other...….it only takes less than 10 minutes and walking through the ballroom and convention areas mean we don't have to walk outside.....it`s cool!!!

We did enjoy breakfast, some little pastries, croissants and mini muffins.....and I had a few little pieces of the continental meats......nice. We chatted to the staff and then Kayla came in and it was so good to see her...….and before we knew it, we had spent forever chatting and the morning disappeared. But, we had a lovely time catching up on everything......as I said we had no plans at all today...….


The snacks were being laid out now......every day between 12 and 3pm you can help yourself to some very nice little snacks......

It`s fairly quiet around this time of day......most folks are in the parks of course, but you do get people who are having a pool day and they will pop up and get some snacks then. The snacks are all prepacked and so much nicer than they used to be.




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We decide to head out and go into Citywalk for lunch......we love Margaritaville and always enjoy sitting at the bar there......the staff are always lovely and you do get a good banter with them most of the time.....

We do get a seat at the bar today, it`s not too busy, but boy is it hot!!I had said we should walk......big mistake!!! It hit 98F today.....not sure what it was at midday, but it felt like we were walking into the sun!!!





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But, this is why we come to Florida...…well, one of the many reasons.....but we love the heat as anyone who has read these reports before will know......but jeez....the next few days would test that love deeply!!! As my vivid red face shows in most pictures!!!





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I order my usual Blackberry Margarita which is gorgeous.....strong and plenty of flavour........and Tom orders a Mango Margarita......which looks ever so pretty.....




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Tom was going to enjoy this drink...…..he was drinking alcohol this lunchtime as he wasn't driving anywhere today, we were staying onsite the whole day which is slightly unusual for us......but early days. We do enjoy a day like this at times.

Now this is a picture of a man who is going to enjoy his drink...... ::yes::




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We eventually decided what we were going to order for lunch after much chatter to our lovely bar lady today...…..Tom rather predictably went for his favourite sandwich here....the Club sandwich and it came with fries separately which he could easily have done without......




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I opted for the blackened grouper sandwich, which was very nice. I never really eat the bun as it`s too much especially at lunch, but did enjoy the sweet potato fries.





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Bars are great places for chatting to others who sit there, much friendlier than tables, and today we did get to chat to some lovely folks who struck up a conversation with us. The accent usually starts that off with most people...….and not for the first time this trip did someone ask if I was Australian...…..I can have a strange mix of accents on occasion......I do believe if I visited Australia, within 10 minutes I`d sound just like one!!! But, we had two lovely couples either side of us who all chatted, so it was a very nice and social lunch.

We came out and it was boiling hot...….we did get a couple of pictures before retreating back home where we had arranged to meet someone for the afternoon.





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We did plan to go to Big Fire at one point, but after listening to friends who`s opinion we trust, we decided not to bother. It does look a nice place and many have lovely meals, but we were happy to pass.




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Our afternoon passed so quickly and it was lovely. We sat in Jake`s for a while and I had strawberry lemonade, which is lovely from there......Jake`s is a fabulous spot to meet folks for food, drinks or chatter.

We later wandered over to the lounge for an hour or so and had a catch up there with a few folks too. Then we headed back to Citywalk on the boat and had a wander around for a little while......and after a quick visit to the bathroom I came back out to a lady talking to Tom.....he had the biggest smile on his face, which he usually does anyway, but this lady had called his name and said she loved his wife`s trip reports......she was Canadian and her name was Marcia Grace......she said she`d love a picture but she said she looked dreadful (she didn't she looked fine) but she felt untidy.....I think we all know that feeling after a day in the parks......but she was very nice and I said I`d say hello to her in this report.....so hello to Marcia Grace...…..she then caught up with her family who were patiently waiting for her to finish her chat with relative strangers....lol....it was so nice to chat to her though.

Our dinner choice tonight was Vivo. And I am quite late to the enjoyment of Vivo.....at first I wasn`t sure of the menu, so put off going for a long time, but.....we love it now...….and like a lot of places we prefer to sit at the bar....also saves a wait for tables!!!!


The sun was still hot, but it was just about to set as we went in.....and this position catches the sun beautifully in the evening towards the front of the restaurant.

Germany is a cool guy......he has been at this bar for a while, and is just the nicest guy....he`s ideal for this job as he is so friendly. We opted for two glasses of white wine tonight...….sorry for the slightly blurry picture.....




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The wine was nice, a good stiff chardonnay...….we again perused the menu....although rather predictably I ordered the one dish I know I love...…chicken piccatta with roast potatoes instead of pasta which I find too filling.....and Tom ordered the pork chop...…...




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The chicken is incredibly succulent and the lemon is sharp without being overpowering, and the potatoes are very buttery!!!!




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Tom`s chop is 12oz with the bone in, and was cooked perfectly. It came with a pear chutney and potatoes...….he loved this dish!!!




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Sitting at the bar again, we have fun chatting......we had a second glass of wine, then a couple came and sat down beside us who didn't look particularly happy, they looked as though they were arguing when they came in...…we overheard her say to him as they sat down "are we getting anywhere now" he rather loudly replied "does annoyed count" oh dear!!!! At that point we said goodnight to Germany and paid the check......I hoped they made up!!

We do love Citywalk at night, and had a good old wander around, into the Fossil store and a few others. We did think we would get some ice cream but, we didn't feel like it.





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The boat was busy as IOA had closed so a lot of folks were heading home now.....but at that time the boats were regular and we didn`t wait long for one though. We heard the family in front of us ask the Capt if they could ride the boat as they weren`t hotel guests, he told them absolutely.....but during HHN after 11/11.30pm they had to have a room key to use the boats.

We knew this of course, but we weren`t exactly sure of the time frame before the room key rule applied. They just wanted to look around the hotel.


A few minutes later we were home and we went straight to Strong Water.

It wasn`t too busy for a Saturday night, and the couple who play every weekend were on, they are excellent......we sat at a table tonight and planned to have one drink and leave.....




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And of course chatting passed a longer time which is always lovely......and then we decided we wanted dessert......so they had a special on tonight. It was a passion fruit cheesecake......well, that was hard to turn down.




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It was delicious. Very creamy and fruity at the same time, and ideal to share as it was incredibly rich. But, just the right amount to share.

We sat a long time chatting and had some water, before we set off up to our room.

It was around 11.30 now and we had planned to get to bed earlier.....lol.....but we`d had a nice evening. And although we hadn't done much today at all, it had been lovely.


Tomorrow was a visit to St Augustine, a Dismeet and HHN...…..
 
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Yeah! I finally was able to catch up! It sounds like another wonderful trip. I can't wait to read/hear more!

:welcome: jeanelle…….

Glad you`re all caught up....nice to see you here!

It really was wonderful. Even the day I just described where we really didn't do much at all......some folks may not like that, but for us, we love it.

Hope you enjoy it...…... :)
 
:welcome: jeanelle…….

Glad you`re all caught up....nice to see you here!

It really was wonderful. Even the day I just described where we really didn't do much at all......some folks may not like that, but for us, we love it.

Hope you enjoy it...…... :)

I am happy to be here. We actually like the days where we don't do a lot. We are planning on adding a day to our next vacation so that we will actually have a couple of those type of days.
 
I am happy to be here. We actually like the days where we don't do a lot. We are planning on adding a day to our next vacation so that we will actually have a couple of those type of days.

Yep, those days were vital to us this trip as the heat was truly excessive......so some relaxation was perfect. You do right to add a day on.....:thumbsup2
 
Ooh lots of yummy food and drinks :drinking1 My mom adores pork chops, that one Tom had...she would love. Now I love anything lemon and love chicken so
Chicken Picatta is right up my alley and that one looks scrumptious. I have only had one good one of late though, just TOO.MUCH. SALT. on most that I've tried lately,okay capers are salty so chef, don't add more salt. :crazy2: Potatoes instead of pasta? Brilliant, I don't like pasta, potatoes are slightly better so I may try that some day.
Nothing is too lemony for me though, I love to eat lemons with salt, all of us have done so since we were kids. Not too good for the teeth though probably why I have crowns now...LOL

Hmmm, how did I know that your 'one drink' would turn into dessert and lots of good conversation. Psychic I guess:laughing: ( or a faithful reader of all of your Trip reports)
This vacation is getting better and better by the day!
 
Ooh lots of yummy food and drinks :drinking1 My mom adores pork chops, that one Tom had...she would love. Now I love anything lemon and love chicken so
Chicken Picatta is right up my alley and that one looks scrumptious. I have only had one good one of late though, just TOO.MUCH. SALT. on most that I've tried lately,okay capers are salty so chef, don't add more salt. :crazy2: Potatoes instead of pasta? Brilliant, I don't like pasta, potatoes are slightly better so I may try that some day.
Nothing is too lemony for me though, I love to eat lemons with salt, all of us have done so since we were kids. Not too good for the teeth though probably why I have crowns now...LOL

Hmmm, how did I know that your 'one drink' would turn into dessert and lots of good conversation. Psychic I guess:laughing: ( or a faithful reader of all of your Trip reports)
This vacation is getting better and better by the day!

That one was a little salty, but still lovely......spoiler....I had the same dish later in the trip and it was excellent!! Double the sauce, not salty and perfect for me, you’d have loved it as it was extra lemony too. Now I think of it, I have crowns too and always used to eat lemons......lol.....love em!!

The pork chop was a revelation to me......I’m not a huge fan, but it was delicious!

Lol......yes, we do have a habit of chatting to everyone.......wouldn’t have it any other way......yes, I think folks know me so well by now!

Thank you, I’m glad you’re enjoying it........ :wave2:
 

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