You’re Not Allowed to Stupefy Your Mother! A UOR May 2019 TR *COMPLETE* 1/17 x2

How nerve-wracking it had to be to go on that first coaster, not knowing how your body would react. It had to be quite the relief to know you were good to go!

I've never ridden E.T. before, but now I really want to so I can see what the queue smells like! My curiosity is on high alert. :rotfl:
 
Hey! There's one I'm not behind on!
I got the surprise of my life when we walked inside and there was a very familiar face staring at me in shock. It was Alicia (@amazingact21) and her husband Alex! She had spotted us coming in, so she had already had her moment of pure surprise, but as I walked in and saw her and my brain registered what I was seeing, I yelled out, “Oh my God!!!” and ran over to hug her!! So we have been following each other’s trip reports here on the DIS for YEARS and have basically watched each other’s kids grow up through Disney World trips. To randomly be at the same Chick-Fil-A in Crestview, FL at the very same time was incredible!!! We only had a few minutes to talk while they waited for their food since they weren’t staying to eat at the restaurant, but we made sure to take a photo together before they had to leave to remember this crazy random unplanned DIS meet.
This was an awesome Dis meet! So glad you guys had the opportunity to stumble across one another like that.
Unfortunately we hit a few snags on the road for the rest of the time we were driving. The plate under the vehicle kept coming loose and dragging on the road, so we had to stop a couple of times for DH to MacGyver something into place. The road was so hot he actually ended up with minor burns on his skin from laying on the ground to look at it.
Wow... that's no fun.
We weren’t sure what to do for dinner, and DS is always asking for McDonald’s so that ended up being the easiest thing.
::yes:: Parenthood...
We made a quick stop at Walmart nearby church to get some zip ties to reinforce the panel that had come loose under the vehicle before we got on the road for the rest of our drive.
I had that thought when I saw the first comments about it... need some zip ties. :rotfl2:
The only downside is that the second bedroom is that it’s two twin beds instead of full. It wasn’t an issue for this trip since it was just DS, but with my parents possibly joining us next time, I had to make sure they were ok with either sleeping in a twin bed each and the kids sharing the sleeper sofa downstairs or vice versa. But they said they were more than happy to do whatever if it meant being able to come and not have to pay for a hotel room!
Even with the twin bed issue, that room looks awesome! Definitely well worth it to have that much space available.
After my first ride, I felt totally fine!! In fact, although I would feel myself tensing up before riding certain things that I thought might jostle me too much, I was fine on everything the whole trip. I’d worried so much that I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy anything, it was a total relief to realize I had worried for nothing. I didn’t end up having to take any of the pain medication the doctor gave me until the very last day when I think all the walking had finally caught up to me.
I'm glad it ended up being a non-factor for you.
The one good thing was it was cool getting to see the regular queues at some of the rides, this one included, since you miss a lot when using only the Express lines. After saving the world with E-Vac, DS got another pressed penny for his collection.
Way to look at it on the positive side. I've used Express Pass the last couple of times and when I'm at Disney World, we pretty much avoid riding something if we can't rope drop or use FP. So waiting in a 30 - 40 minute line isn't something we do normally. I'll be interested in seeing how you guys manage the lines and how long the waits end up being.
 


Sounds like a great finish to your day!

Glad you were able to ride the rides pain-free and go through most of the trip that way!

I never even knew that Woody Woodpecker ride existed. Wonder if they'd look at us funny if we tried to ride it without kids?

:love: E.T. I'm constantly telling kids at work the pulse ox is their E.T. light and then realizing they have no idea what I'm talking about :sad1:

I was really relieved to find the pain was a non issue. It had been really hard to get excited about this trip with that weighing on my mind.

I would compare Woody Woodpecker to the Barnstormer at WDW. Blink & you'll miss it!! lol

:rotfl2: When I worked on the Peds unit I used to do that too!! Now that I'm in a clinic I don't have that opportunity as often, but there are plenty of other outdated things I mention that have the kids looking at me like, "WHAT?!"

Sounds like a fun afternoon! I'm so glad you were able to ride everything without any pain or issues!

It was such a relief! I had been so worried about it leading up to our departure.

Sounds like a great start to your trip. Can't wait to hear and read more :)

Thanks!

How nerve-wracking it had to be to go on that first coaster, not knowing how your body would react. It had to be quite the relief to know you were good to go!

I've never ridden E.T. before, but now I really want to so I can see what the queue smells like! My curiosity is on high alert. :rotfl:

I was so tense all over, it was the most scared I have ever been to go on a kiddie coaster! lol But it was absolutely a relief to realize it was not that bad. I was still a bit nervous every time we tried something for the first time that trip that I thought might aggravate my injury, but it was all good, thankfully.

Haha I really don't know what it is but I just love it so much! I have recruited Paxton to my queue-scent fan club as well.

This was an awesome Dis meet! So glad you guys had the opportunity to stumble across one another like that.

It was so random, and so crazy. Definitely the best unplanned DIS Meet ever!

Wow... that's no fun.

Yeah, it really wasn't at all. I guess it could have been worse? But still not great when you're on the road.

::yes:: Parenthood...

Oh man, ain't that the truth!

I had that thought when I saw the first comments about it... need some zip ties. :rotfl2:

Haha Must be a dad thing!

Even with the twin bed issue, that room looks awesome! Definitely well worth it to have that much space available.

It was really nice, and took away some of the sting of not getting to stay onsite.

I'm glad it ended up being a non-factor for you.

It was such a relief! I'd had a lot of trouble getting excited about this trip with all that I had going on, and knowing it was going to be hot, more crowded than we are used to, and that we wouldn't have the benefit of Express, but it all ended up being ok in the end.

Way to look at it on the positive side. I've used Express Pass the last couple of times and when I'm at Disney World, we pretty much avoid riding something if we can't rope drop or use FP. So waiting in a 30 - 40 minute line isn't something we do normally. I'll be interested in seeing how you guys manage the lines and how long the waits end up being.

Yes, us either. It helped that it was just us and DS, and while he wasn't thrilled about it, he could at least understand more than if we'd had DD with us and had to wait in longer lines than we are used to and try to keep her entertained. We had the benefit of time at least, so even though we couldn't re-ride everything as much as we are used to, we still got to do everything we wanted at least once.
 
Day 3: Monday May 27th

For our first full park day, we were up and moving around 7 am. One of the things DH had gotten at the store for breakfast was some iced cinnamon rolls, so we had those this morning after we got dressed. We left at 7:50 and I have in my notes we were parked and through security by 8:12 and at the gates for rope drop by 8:20. We had gotten a good laugh in the parking garage because we were behind a huge truck that took a turn way too soon and took out a bunch of the cones they had put out to guide all the vehicles to the correct level and rows to park!

We only had to wait at the turnstiles for about 10 minutes because they started letting us into the park at 8:30 and held us over at the ropes to Seuss Landing. DS wanted to be our guide so he grabbed us a map.


Without the benefit of early entry or Express Pass, we were of course heading straight to Hogsmeade to get onto Forbidden Journey since it’s one of our favorites.


Between last trip and this one they had made all of the changes to the locker sizes, so that meant we had to rethink what bags we brought to the parks and how much stuff we could fit in them to accommodate the new smaller size of the free lockers. This was the first ride we were experiencing with the new lockers, so we were super surprised to find out when we went to store our stuff that they still had the same older style large lockers for free! I read later that it’s because they are supposed to be building a brand new locker area for this ride so I guess they didn’t want to change them out only to have to move them later on. It was a nice surprise not to have to worry if our stuff would fit.


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We all just LOVE this ride! It’s an absolute must-do as a Harry Potter fan! DS wanted to go right back on, but my stomach cannot take 2 rides on it in a row, so I poked around the shop while they ran through the line again.

When they were done, we decided to cross the bridge and go over to see if we could get on Kong.


There are some walls up where they are getting the new ride ready!


We made it over to Skull Island, and I’m not going to lie, I was TERRIFIED to go through the standby line because of the scare actor in there! We have always gone through the Express line and skipped seeing him, so I was really scared not to know where he was going to pop out.


This time, the scare actor got me good!! I jumped and screamed and ran. That is why I will never again go to Halloween Horror Nights. Lol From then on, DS and I made DH go first and he would basically call the scare actor out and yell, “He’s right there!” as we approached him, so the scare actor would go back into the darkness to get ready to scare the next group instead! It was really funny the next time we went and he tried that for the first time, because he couldn’t remember where exactly the scare actor was in the queue, so he said, “He’s right THERE!” like 10 different times. Maybe it was a “you had to be there” moment, but DS and I couldn’t stop laughing! However, it DID work, which was the most important thing!!


Once we finished, of course DS remembered that the cart nearby Kong has his favorite Icee flavor, strawberry. Although we don’t get an AP discount at the carts, we went ahead and activated our cup for the day there and got our first Icee. If you’ve ever followed along with one of our Universal TR’s before, this photo might look familiar.


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We decided to see just how many Icees we could get in one day!


Since we were going towards Superhero Island, we decided to head over to Spider-Man after checking the app and seeing the wait time was posted at 25 minutes.


Then, we stopped over at Dr. Doom’s Fear Fall since we have never done it together.


But unfortunately, DS was still a hair too short, so we had to skip that once again. I don’t think DS was too disappointed, as he wasn’t too excited to be riding it in the first place! He should be tall enough by the time we go back in December, and it’s a ride my mom likes a lot, so it might be the trip it finally happens.

UP NEXT: Another DIS Meet!
 
I don't usually read the Universal boards but I happened to see the link for this TR in your signature. Always enjoy reading about your adventures! Nice you were able to have some special bonding time with your DS. Your trip is off to a good start - glad you've been able to enjoy the rides pain free. I'll be watching for another update!
 


Off to a great start to the day!

Omg those scare actors in the Kong queue scare the crap out of me! Good idea sending DH first :rotfl:

Yay can't wait to see how many icees ya'll get!!!
 
Sounds like a great start to the morning!

The smaller lockers are one of my concerns for Universal! Did your refillable cup fit in it?
 
The return of the icee challenge! Yes! :rotfl2: I'm guessing 5;I'm probably on the low side but I'm playing it safe.

Oh jeez, the scare actors in the queue. That sounds both cruel and hilarious at the same time. I'm gonna say the express pass is worth it for you if only so you can skip that part.
 
We had gotten a good laugh in the parking garage because we were behind a huge truck that took a turn way too soon and took out a bunch of the cones they had put out to guide all the vehicles to the correct level and rows to park!
In their defense, sometimes they put those cones way too close together for a 20"+ long truck to make it around those corners. But most likely, it was the driver.
We made it over to Skull Island, and I’m not going to lie, I was TERRIFIED to go through the standby line because of the scare actor in there!
I can see that... I actually thought I saw somewhere that they weren't doing that anymore. Apparently, that's not true.
There are some walls up where they are getting the new ride ready!
I'm so out of the Universal loop. So is Orlando getting the Jurassic World makeover that they did in California?
We decided to see just how many Icees we could get in one day!
Sounds like a fun challenge to me!
But unfortunately, DS was still a hair too short, so we had to skip that once again. I don’t think DS was too disappointed, as he wasn’t too excited to be riding it in the first place! He should be tall enough by the time we go back in December, and it’s a ride my mom likes a lot, so it might be the trip it finally happens.
Hope he's tall enough! And brave enough!
 
I don't usually read the Universal boards but I happened to see the link for this TR in your signature. Always enjoy reading about your adventures! Nice you were able to have some special bonding time with your DS. Your trip is off to a good start - glad you've been able to enjoy the rides pain free. I'll be watching for another update!

I'm so glad you found it & decided to join in! It was really special getting to take a few trips just with him and letting him enjoy the big boy stuff.

Omg those scare actors in the Kong queue scare the crap out of me! Good idea sending DH first :rotfl:

Yay can't wait to see how many icees ya'll get!!!

They are AWFUL!! I hate being scared, so the added benefit of not having to experience the scare actor when using Express was so nice. I really was missing it this time around!


Sounds like a great start to the morning!

The smaller lockers are one of my concerns for Universal! Did your refillable cup fit in it?

The smaller lockers really were not as bad as I was expecting. It did mean downsizing some stuff, so we got the travel sized cooling towels instead of bringing our full sized ones and DH got a smaller camera bag. But we were able to carry the essentials we needed in smaller bags no problem. The refillable cups only fit when laying down on their side, so they have trash cans at all of the locker stations for you to dump it out if needed before putting it in the lockers. Just be sure to check the locker before you stick your stuff in just in case the person who came before you was not as considerate to dump their liquids out and left a spill in there!

The return of the icee challenge! Yes! :rotfl2: I'm guessing 5;I'm probably on the low side but I'm playing it safe.

Oh jeez, the scare actors in the queue. That sounds both cruel and hilarious at the same time. I'm gonna say the express pass is worth it for you if only so you can skip that part.

Haha it's such a fun challenge! We NEVER get Icees in our regular life, so it's great to just get them to our heart's content when we are in Universal!

YES! It pays for itself in getting to skip the scare actor alone!!

In their defense, sometimes they put those cones way too close together for a 20"+ long truck to make it around those corners. But most likely, it was the driver.

Haha Ok ok I can see that...but I think this one was the driver!!

I can see that... I actually thought I saw somewhere that they weren't doing that anymore. Apparently, that's not true.

NOT TRUE, unfortunately! I saw him several times!! There was once or twice he was not in there though.

I'm so out of the Universal loop. So is Orlando getting the Jurassic World makeover that they did in California?

I don't think they are going full Jurassic World, just adding a coaster and keeping it JP. They haven't really released many details though so lots of rumors.

Sounds like a fun challenge to me!

The best!

I am loving all the pictures of your little guy. So fun!

Thanks so much!!
 
Day 3 Continued: Monday May 27th

All morning I had been texting back and forth with @skier_pete because we knew they were in Islands of Adventure that day also, and I believe it was their last day in the parks so it was our only chance to meet up. They were soaking up some A/C inside Café 4 so we headed over there to meet up.


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It had been many years of missed meetup opportunities as we always seemed to miss each other by just a few days on WDW trips. So go figure, when we actually get to meet up, it was at Universal instead!! Lol We have followed each other’s trip reports for a LONG time, so it was great to finally get a chance to meet in person! Pete and his wife & daughter were very sweet, and DS was excited to meet “Pete from the podcast” (The DVC Show), even though he knew it wasn’t THE Pete from the podcast! Lol We had fun chatting with them, comparing notes of what we had done so far and commiserating about the heat.

After saying goodbye to Pete & family, we made a stop for Icee number 2.


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We were heading towards Seuss Landing when we spotted Alex & King Julien from Madagascar meeting off to the side. DS was being a turd and refused to meet them, so just DH and I got in for a picture.


Alex’s paws are ENORMOUS!!! I hope we see them out in December because DD is on a major Madagascar kick right now. She loves it! But hopefully she is not too scared of Alex’s huge size. I’m sure he will look pretty intimidating to someone her size!

After finishing up with our quick meet, we continued on to Seuss Landing.


The Cat in the Hat didn’t have a long wait, so we stopped there first.


After the ride, DS wanted to get a couple of Seuss pressed pennies.


We were starting to get hungry for lunch, so we started towards Hogsmeade. DS wanted to walk through the Lorax path.


We stopped at the Freestyle machine just before the bridge to Lost Continent and filled up with some Powerade to drink with lunch, then continued on to Hogsmeade and our lunch destination, The Three Broomsticks.


DH and I shared the chicken & ribs platter, and DS got the kids chicken tenders meal, plus we got a frozen Butterbeer to share also.


They had changed the seating process since the last time we were there, I think. Now, they have a host waiting where you come out after picking up your food but before you enter the dining room. She asked how many people we had, then held up 3 fingers (I don’t know what she’d do if your group was more than 10 people! Lol) and the TM’s bussing the tables would signal when they had a table ready for your party size. It was great, and it meant we didn’t have to wander around looking for a clean table.

By the time we finished eating and left, there was a huge line outside just waiting to get in to order.


DS wanted to do some magic, so we wandered around letting him cast spells for a bit.


We caught a glimpse of Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure over the construction walls, but that’s as close as we came to it. We were hoping for some technical rehearsals while we were there, but no such luck!


We got another Icee on the way up to the front of the park, because DS wanted to shop a bit before we headed out for a break. We had been unsure if we’d take breaks as much since we were offsite and thought getting back to the car and then the resort and back would eat up too much time. But the sun was getting to us more than we’d expected so it was worth it.


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DS got some more pressed pennies outside the big shop in Port of Entry.


He was also on a big How to Train Your Dragon kick, so this Toothless hat caught his eye.


Icee #4 for the road.


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Then the long hike back to the car. DH spotted this as we exited CityWalk at the big Coke refreshment kiosk near Red Oven.


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Ew.


UP NEXT: Virtual Line For the Win!
 
I had missed that you had started you TR! It was so great to meet you and the family! As you said, it's been like 10 years of almost meets before we finally met. Sorry to disappoint Paxton that I was not THE Pete - just the other Pete. I admit to being the inferior Pete. :sad:
 
I don't know much of anything about Madagascar but that Alex is HUGE!!!

Fun times in Seuss Landing & Hogsmeade! And of course enjoying more icees!!
 
Hopping aboard a little late. Just found your TR and all caught up . Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
 
So go figure, when we actually get to meet up, it was at Universal instead!!
Well, it's either there or a random Chick fil a along the highway!
Alex’s paws are ENORMOUS!!!
::yes:: I could see some intimidation factor there with the kids...
Now, they have a host waiting where you come out after picking up your food but before you enter the dining room. She asked how many people we had, then held up 3 fingers (I don’t know what she’d do if your group was more than 10 people! Lol) and the TM’s bussing the tables would signal when they had a table ready for your party size. It was great, and it meant we didn’t have to wander around looking for a clean table.
That's a nice system. At least as long as there's a table ready relatively quickly!
 
The smaller lockers really were not as bad as I was expecting. It did mean downsizing some stuff, so we got the travel sized cooling towels instead of bringing our full sized ones and DH got a smaller camera bag. But we were able to carry the essentials we needed in smaller bags no problem. The refillable cups only fit when laying down on their side, so they have trash cans at all of the locker stations for you to dump it out if needed before putting it in the lockers. Just be sure to check the locker before you stick your stuff in just in case the person who came before you was not as considerate to dump their liquids out and left a spill in there!

Good to know! Thank you!

She asked how many people we had, then held up 3 fingers (I don’t know what she’d do if your group was more than 10 people! Lol)

:rotfl:

nd the TM’s bussing the tables would signal when they had a table ready for your party size. It was great, and it meant we didn’t have to wander around looking for a clean table.

That's definitely a better system!
 
I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember anything from Madagascar, but whoa...those are some giant paws on that lion! I feel like it's going to go one of two ways with your DD in December. She's either going to be intimidated or think they're the most amusing things ever.

The icee challenge is going strong! Although, the frozen butterbeer is what I'm most jealous of. I wish you could get a cup with free refills of that. I would probably drink my weight in Butterbeer if that were the case. :rotfl:

That voodoo donut burger sounds disgusting...

Hopefully the break from the sun didn't eat up as much time as you feared.
 

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