Excuse Me, Where Did I Park?!? An Awesome Graduation Trip right before Christmas!

[gofordrew]

Welcome to my first ever trip report! Thank you for reading!

Table of Contents
Introduction
Day 1: Hollywood Studios
Day 2: Universal Studios Part I
Day 2: Universal Studios Part II
Day 3: IOA/Shows and Characters Part I
Day 3: IOA/Shows and Characters Part II

 

[gofordrew]

Cast of Characters:
On the trip was just my girlfriend, Danielle, and I. We are from Nashville and have been dating for about 4 1/2 years now. I graduated from MTSU in 2013 and have worked in accounting for about a year now. Now this trip was for a couple reasons: 1. Our first real vacation together and 2. To celebrate Danielle graduating from MTSU. She litereally graduated that morning and we arrive in Orlando that night She is hoping to get a job in HR in the coming weeks!

Dates of trip: December 14th-20th, 2014.

We live about 9 hours away, so we will be driving down there. We are staying offsite since we are just gonna be spending all day in the parks and just using the room for sleep anyway. Also, we are doing 4 days at Disney and 3 at Universal.

Disney Favorites - Me (Drew)
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Tower of Terror
Favorite Character: Chip and Dale

Danielle
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Big Thunder Mountain
Favorite Character: Pluto

Universal Favorite - Me
Favorite Park: Universal Studios
Favorite Ride: Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit
Favorite Character: The Simpsons

Danielle
Favorite Park: Universal Studios
Favorite Ride: Harry Potter Forbidden Journey
Favorite Character: Marilyn Monroe

Join us if you'd like! This was our first vacation together and our first trip to Disney as adults. The last time she had went she was just kindergarten age...The last time I went I was around 12. Thanks for reading!

 

[gofordrew]

Travel Day
The Travel Day was pretty uneventful. Danielle's graduation was around 9a.m. then we had lunch with family after that. We were on the road by 2pm. A quick stop for dinner and gas in Atlanta and we were back on the road. We arrived at our hotel around midnight.

Sunday, December 14th

We were up around 9AM and were so excited to finally be going to Disney World!! We started our morning at Ihop (right next to the hotel, conveniently!)

Now we were off to Disney World!!! It was about a 15 minute drive from our hotel, which seemed like forever at the time, but we had finally made it!

We bought the photo pass and I really believe it was worth it. We stopped at every photographer we could and often when back to the same photographer at different points in the day to get different shots.

A few Photopass shots from DHS:

Now that we were in the park it was time for our first fast pass...for Toy Story Mania! I had never been on this (last time in the parks was around 2003) so I was really impressed. The ride was a ton of fun and ended up being Danielle's favorite at DHS.

Yeah... I won

Next we decided to do Muppets 3D and Lights Motor Action! Show.

Muppets Selfie

Muppets was pretty funny. We both really enjoyed LMA Show. The effects and stunts were pretty awesome.

Now it was time for lunch at.....

Being huge Toy Story fans, we just had to eat here. The food was decent. Nothing really great or bad about it. I was impressed with the salad, it was better than I thought it was going to be.

Now I told myself I was going to take pictures of every meal for a trip report/reviews/etc but this ended up being the only one I took. Oh well.

We didn't really have any set plans besides FP+ the rest of the day, so we just kind of wandered around, taking everything in, riding rides, looking in all the shops. I get motion sickness really easily, like riding in the backseat of cars or playing video games easy (more on this later), so I decided to sit out Star Tours, but she said it was awesome.

Danielle doesn't like big roller coasters or drops, so I used the single rider line for Rock'n'Roller Coaster and was on in about 10 minutes.

To me, this is definitely Disney's most thrilling ride. I love it. I was really disappointed later when they had the single riders line closed for some reason.

Now remember when I said Danielle didn't like roller coasters or big rides..well she's probably going to kill me for this one, but here is her first and only time on Tower of Terror.

Needless to say...she did not want to ride again. It went a little smoother the next time through for me

Finally, we went to the Fantasmic show. It was really awesome and I would recommend if you're at DHS! After that we decided to say goodbye to DHS, grab some dinner on the way back to the hotel, and get ready for Universal Studios in the morning.

Some notes for DHS:

• DHS has 2 of Disney's most thrilling rides, but is lacking in attractions otherwise
• The shows are still good, but I don't think they've changed since I was here 11 years ago
• They need more energy drinks in the parks. We couldn't find any kind anywhere.

 

[disneyguy4life]

There's nothing better than a Disney trip to celebrate... anything! I look forward to reading more about your trip.

 

[gofordrew]

There's nothing better than a Disney trip to celebrate... anything! I look forward to reading more about your trip.

Exactly!! I'm already trying to find a reason to get back

 

[roamingcat]

Looking forward to reading day 2.

 

[gofordrew]

Monday, December 15th

We were up bright and early Monday morning because it was time for my favorite park...Universal Studios! I always loved coming here as a kid and also came here on a Marching band trip about 7 years ago.

We had originally bought our tickets back in July, 2 day, no park hopper option. However, Universal was currently running a "Buy 2, get the 3rd day free" promotion and we asked them, and lucky enough they added a 3rd day for us for free! Because of the Hogwarts Express and getting a 3rd day free, we decided to get a Park Harper added on, which wasn't bad, $40 each for all 3 days.

We also bought the Photo Pass for Universal and it was not worth it to me. It is a lot cheaper than Disney's ($60 compared to $200) and you get the ride photos, but that is really all you get. There were photographers at the entrance and that was it...no where else! Even at the Character meets we had to ask someone to take a picture for us because there was no photo pass photographer there...so I wouldn't really recommend it.

After entering the park the first ride we had to was Twister: Ride it Out. This is a childhood favorite of mine. I remember being here the year it opened and waiting over 2 hours to ride it for the first time. Also, Twister was my favorite movie growing up. We walked right on and the ride was just as awesome as I remember, and the special effects hold up well even after 17 years of being open.

Next, I headed towards one of the newest Universals, Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit! This ended up being my favorite and is a truly unique coaster. You get to choose from about 25 songs and it plays it while you ride, really adding to the experience. Plus the coaster itself was really smooth and you can watch your ride video afterwards!

I took the single ride line and was on in less than 10 minutes.

One thing about this ride is that it is a moving platform, so the queue moves quickly, however either ride operator error or people not understanding that when it is time to get on the ride, it's time to GO. You have about 20 seconds to get on. So as you can see in this picture, a lot of times there are empty seats.

Next we did Shrek 4D, which was pretty entertaining. Then we hit up Mummy Returns, and you can't tell by this picture, but Danielle ended up loving by the time we were done.

I actually forgot how intense it was, but like I said, she ended up loving it and it was one of her favorites by the end of the trip.

Next it was time for the long awaited arrival to Diagon Alley! We were absolutely amazed walking into it. The detail is so amazing. Pictures do not do it justice.

Every few minutes the dragon would road and shoot fire out of its mouth. Next it was time for the newest ride in Universal, Escape from Grinngott's

This was our longest wait of the entire trip to Universal. Most rides were walk on or less than 10 minutes, this one we waited about 30 minutes total. The queue makes the wait worth it though. It is themed so well and has so much going on that the time flies while you're walking through it. Also, when you are getting close to the ride they have photo booths where they take your picture.

Now for the ride itself...remember how I said I get motion sick easily? Well before I left I got a prescription for the Transderm Scop patch. This may sound a bit like an infomercial, but I cannot say enough about it! There are several rides at Universal that would make me so sick it would ruin the whole day without it (including Gringotts). But with the patch on I rode everything, and rode rides all day, and didn't get the slightest bit of nausea. It was like a miracle cure for me since I get motion sickness from the slightest of things sometimes...anyway, infomercial over.

Escape from Gringotts was awesome! It's like a roller coaster/3D hybrid ride. The technology on Universal's newest rides is so amazing...they are truly ahead of the game when it comes to this.

Our next stop was to try our first ever ButterBeer!
We elected to go for the frozen one first. It was delicious! Tasted a lot like a cake batter icee to me.

We spent sometime walking around the shops and enjoying all the scenery of Diagon Alley. We elected not to take the Hogwarts Express over to Islands of Adventure just yet, instead opting to finish the main rides around Universal first.

Next we continued our lap around the park and did Men in Black next, again no wait.

She was mad at me because I got a picture of my score when I beat her at Toy Story Mania but not when she beat me in Men in Black. It really was accidental though

Next up was the Simpson's Ride, which is another one that would have made me really sick if not for the patch. The ride is pretty fun, Danielle said it was one of her favorites of the whole trip. It's also pretty hilarious and makes jokes about the amusement park business.

We were starting to get hungry so it was time for lunch

I got the Krusty Burger and it was really really good. The special sauce they had on it was awesome. Danielle got a Nathan's hotdog, and she said it was good, not great. We both agreed the fries were awesome. (Sorry for no pictures, I totally dropped the ball on it after the first day!)

Next we had a photo opp with a couple of the Simpsons characters.

Krusty was not being very nice

The worker we asked to take our picture was like "Come on Krusty, stop it!" it was pretty funny.

Next up we rode E.T. which is really starting to get dated. I do believe this will be the next ride on the chopping block for Universal (The movie is 33 years old now). Universal seems to keep their rides more updated so I could see something new here in the next couple of years.

 

[gofordrew]

Monday, December 15th, Part 2

It was starting to get evening time and we had did most everything besides Transformers and Despicable Me (Which had 40 minute wait times) so we decided to it was time to take the Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure.

This was awesome because when we went in the train station it was late afternoon and the sun was still shining. When we got out of the train station at Islands, it was full on night time. So it actually felt like we took a long trip somewhere.

Our first stop in Harry Potter world was to ride Forbidden Journey. The wait time was about 10 minutes, which surprised me considering the popularity.

This ride was so awesome and unlike anything I had ever ridden before. The technology and everything involved is awesome. It also ended up being Danielle's favorite of the entire trip. (Also one thing I do like about Universal's Photo pass is that the ride photos are like the ones you would buy. They have the frame and date on them)

Next, we wanted to try butterbeer regular instead of frozen, so it was off to the butterbeer cart to get one in a souvenir mug (she loves cups )

We decided to head towards the exit and ride whatever was along the way, since we would be back tomorrow. This included the small Harry Potter coaster and we were the only two on the ride! We may have rode 3 or 4 times in a row...

We also hopped on the carousel and took a selfie

Before leaving the park, Hulk Coaster was walk on, so I rode it a couple times before we left, but I didn't get the ride picture

We decided to end our night at the City Walk and Margaritaville.

We each got a margarita and shared the volcano nachos. This things were huge...I wish I had a picture. They were more than enough as a meal for both of us. We decided to call it a night after that and headed back to our hotel.

Some thoughts on Universal:

• The ride technology at Universal is amazing...if you have never been I would highly recommend it
• All of the major attractions require you to use lockers (free) to put your stuff in. Some people didn't like this, but it didn't really bother me. They can hold two good sized bags
• Before the big roller coasters, they have crew members at the front telling you that your pockets must be empty. No keys, phone, wallet, even if they zip, they must be emptied. Not sure how I felt about that but I guess it keeps people from getting hit with fallen objects, and I knew what to expect after the first time.
• The details of both sides of Harry Potter world is amazing. You feel like you are in the Harry Potter universal. They did a great job.
• City Walk has a lot to offer after the parks close, and they are expanding on it even more
• Besides the newest attraction, Escape from Grinngotts, we didn't wait more than 10 minutes for any attraction

 

[elaine amj]

Thanks for your trip report I am going to Universal for the first time in May so it was great to read your impressions.

 

[disneyguy4life]

Exactly!! I'm already trying to find a reason to get back

I don't blame you. If my wife and I lived closer we would go all the time. Filled up our gas tank for cheap... Lets go to Disney World. Had a good day at work... Lets go to Disney World. I admit, you guys are hardcore. Graduating and then going to the World right after... awesome!

 

[gofordrew]

Tuesday, December 16th

Today we were going back to Universal Studios, this time electing to enter on the Islands of Adventure side of the park, and make our way around it.

Since we had rode most of the main attractions the first today, today we were going to focus more on meeting characters, watching the parade, and watching some of the shows.

We stopped for a couple photo pass pictures at the entrance.

First, I had to stop by the Hulk Coaster and do the single riders line...love that ride. Next, I went through the single riders line to Dr. Doom and rode it twice in a row with no wait.

Danielle browsed around the shops while I rode. After getting off of Dr. Doom and meeting back up with Danielle, we spotted Wolverine! So we had to stop for a photo opp.

Next, we headed for the Spiderman ride. It was pretty fun. It's on a track but it's not a roller coaster. It's like a 3D type ride. After that, we continued our path through the park through Jurassic Park.

I remember the Jurrasic Park boat ride being one of my favorites, but we saw people coming off of the ride completely soaked. So we decided to skip it.

After leaving Jurassic Park, we headed towards the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where we actually spotted a photo pass photographer!! This was the only one we had seen other than at the entrances.

He was really nice and actually took about 10 pictures for us. We walked around Harry Potter world and took in the detail during the daytime, again can't say enough about the work Universal did on this!

We decided to take the Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios and was happy to find out that it was a different experience each way. Upon arriving in London we took a couple shots in the telephone booth.

They also had a triple decker bus...which I can't seem to find the picture of. Next we checked out the Fear Factor Live show.

This show is really starting to show it's age and it hasn't changed since it opened. I know it's only seasonal now, so hopefully they replace it with something new soon.

It was getting close to lunchtime so we decided to buy the meal plan, which if you plan it right you can come out ahead. We bought one meal plan and had lunch at Monster Cafe where we had the Ribs and Chicken combo ($13), Powerade for our 2 drinks ($4 each) and butterbeer as our snack ($6), so we came out about $6-7 ahead. The ribs and chicken were both good and it was plenty for us to share.

We had to stop for a quick photo opp with Jaws...I miss this ride, it was one of my favorites.

 

[gofordrew]

Tuesday, December 16th, Part 2

Next it was time to meet some characters!

Bumblebee

Minions

The Simpsons

Scooby and Shaggy

Lucy

and...Marilyn!

Now, Danielle is a huge Marilyn Monroe fan. She has a lot of Marilyn pictures, posters, quotes, etc. throughout the house, so she was a little star struck when she met her. It was the cutest thing!

We still had time to kill before the Macy's Holiday Parade started, so we went to the Terminator 3D show, which was pretty good. Then we went to the Horror Makeup show, which was awesome. It was interesting and hilarious at the same time, probably Universal's best show.

Next was Macy's Holiday Parade. We ended up getting really good spots for it. It was a fun parade, Definitely check it out if you are there for the holidays.

A few pics from the parade:

It lasted about 30 minutes, and then we were off the see the only 2 attractions we hadn't made it to yet, Transformers and Despicable Me.

We waited about 25 minutes for Despicable Me, but it was right after the parade so we were lucky. When we got off the ride it was posted at a 60 minute wait. I did not like this ride at all. It was just a bench you sat on with 4 people that moves and it was really rough. The movie part was funny but I wouldn't ride again, much less wait an hour for it. Transformers was basically Spiderman with a different theme, but it was fun.

By this time it was starting to get night time, and since we were going to the MAGIC KINGDOM tomorrow, we decided to just call it a night and head back. We snapped a couple photopass shots on the way out

We decided to just go through the drive-thru at Wendy's on the way back to the hotel instead of sitting down somewhere for dinner. We were ready to get back to the hotel and wind down and relax before a big day at the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday.

 

[disneyguy4life]

Harry potter world is awesome! They did such a great job creating the story in both parks. I never got to meet any of the characters when my wife and I were there this summer. It looks like you guys had a lot of fun. Some of her faces on the rides are classic.

 

[bartleyosu]

Awesome report, thanks.

 

[NCgirl71]

I enjoyed reading your trip report. I'm planning to head down in March for a solo trip. You guys did a lot of what I plan to do minus roller coasters;-). It gave me a good idea on how much I can get done in two days. I'm also thinking about a day or two in the Disney parks. Do you think staying offsite was convenient? I'm torn between staying onsite or somewhere in the middle since I would like to visit both Universal and Disney. I don't really like the idea of switching hotels mid trip . Seems like a hassle but I've never done it before .

 

[gofordrew]

I enjoyed reading your trip report. I'm planning to head down in March for a solo trip. You guys did a lot of what I plan to do minus roller coasters;-). It gave me a good idea on how much I can get done in two days. I'm also thinking about a day or two in the Disney parks. Do you think staying offsite was convenient? I'm torn between staying onsite or somewhere in the middle since I would like to visit both Universal and Disney. I don't really like the idea of switching hotels mid trip . Seems like a hassle but I've never done it before .

You are gonna have a blast! You will be able to get a lot done, especially with single rider lines. We enjoyed staying offsite, we spent the days in the parks anyway, so it was really just a place to sleep and shower. We stayed in Kissimmee and it took about 15 minutes to get to Disney or Universal. I agree with you, I wouldn't want the hassle of switching hotels mid trip. I did this on a different trip to Myrtle Beach and hated the hassle of unpacking everything, packing back up, then unpacking and again just to pack back up a day or two later. Hope you have fun!