HO-HO-HO..We`ll put the RUM in Pa-Rum-Pum-Pum-Pum! 16 holiday nights at SF & RPR. A Nov/Dec 2023 Trip Report

[schumigirl]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures!!

back jocelyn.....

I am so glad to see you back again, and really look forward to seeing you along the way for this one too and hope you enjoy it

 

[jump00]

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Yes, I agree it is a little early for Jingle Bells and all that comes with those felicitations, but we are almost at the 8 weeks mark till our trip and there`s nothing quite like a pre trip to get into that holiday mode, albeit a little early and not that we really need anything to up the excitement level....but for those of you who have asked, here it is!!

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For those that don`t know us, we are Carole`n`Tom...a very happily married couple from the United Kingdom who have been married just over 31 years and who love more or less everything Orlando and Florida have to offer and we keep coming back for more.

This will be our 26th trip to Orlando and our 5th for the Christmas period, accumulating over 430 nights at Universal Orlando hotels in that time period, yes the hotels are a huge part of our trips, we love every second we stay there whether it be Sapphire Falls or Royal Pacific, and again both those hotels will be part of this upcoming trip.

It only seems 5 minutes ago we were coming home from our May trip and everything that brought us, and missing our usual September trip for HHN was strange, but we decided to give it a miss and I do think we needed a break from it as it was becoming routine for us and that`s never good. We have been visiting at that time since 2007 and last year we didn`t enjoy it as much as we should have, it was a lot to do with just how busy the event has become and therefore we thought give it a miss and see how we feel next year. Also the lovely keishashadow spoiled us I think by introducing us to Howl o Scream at SeaWorld which was a phenomenal event and we enjoyed that much more than any of the Universal HHN nights in the end. I think we may have outgrown HHN as it is just too much of the same thing for us now after 16 years attending it.

So we decided late last year to book a Christmas trip instead. We love the Holidays and Christmas is my favourite time of the year so we were so looking forward to celebrating all that Universal and Orlando has to offer this time of year.

Our wonderful son Kyle decided that he had made his last trip with us in May, he has so many other plans right now which is as it should be of course, but, we will miss him along for the ride for sure. He is fabulous company and has the best nature of anyone I know, wicked sense of humour too and we`ve loved every second he was with us. Although it is also true that it`s lovely being a couple again, just the two of us is also wonderful and we absolutely adore our trips together too.

In case you haven`t read one of these TR`s before and have no clue what we look like, this was us in May this year on the patio area of Strong Water Bar and taken by the lovely Maggie. I like to be able to put a face to a name on TR`s I have to say.

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We are not planners, never have been and the only thing we do like to plan is meeting up with friends old and new, and hopefully we`ll manage that this trip too. Dining reservations fill us with dread and unless it`s for a special occasion, we just don`t book anything, except the obvious of course like flights, hotels and so on, but that`s about the only things, we love being spontaneous and just wake up and decide what we`re doing that day.

But, the planning that we do have to began last year when we booked our flights with Virgin Atlantic which we tend to do first before anything else and even though we thought we were quite early with our dates, we had a rough idea of the time frame we wanted but can change to suit depending on availability, so looked online first then called up when we saw flights that had seats available and thought we were sorted. We can just book online, but we had a load of miles to use up and doing it online is a nightmare, so we called the number up and told her which flights we wanted and had the seats we wanted to book ready to share....

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Well, the Premium seats on the way out to Orlando had disappeared while we were on the call.....these flights do fill up quickly, so the next best option for us were the front two exit row seats in Economy. We have had them once before when Virgin Atlantic flew the Jumbo Jet (much missed) they were decent, so, we have plenty of legroom as there is no one in front of us and delighted to say it saved us around $1400 going out in economy which is always nice. I hadn`t looked at how much cheaper it can be to do it that way so it was a nice surprise.

Who says I can`t find a bargain now and again.......

We did manage to get the Premium seats we wanted on the way home which is probably preferable to us as we can sleep better in Premium with the larger comfier seats. We were glad it wasn`t the other way round. We fly out on Friday November 17th and come home Sunday December 3rd.

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On the way out we only get one suitcase each at 50lb each, plus hand luggage, which I think we can about manage, maybe....but I think we`ll go buy another suitcase while we`re out there for coming home as we do get 2 suitcases each coming home. Sounds like a plan!

If we have a lot on the way out we can take another suitcase and pay the charge which isn`t a fortune and might be worth it as we do take a lot of gifts out to folks as well as enough clothes for a 3 month stay....or so I`m told

I can`t disagree.....but, I`m of the mind I`d rather have too many clothes and not need them as the other way around! It is only for 16 nights, so maybe I will try to take less....again, I can only try!!

So, flights sorted, we knew our dates now we just needed to get everything else booked!! We have some lovely meets planned this trip and a few ideas for something a little different too, plus our usual park time too, we`re looking forward to the Parade as that is always so lovely and incredibly festive.

And of course Strong Water Tavern will feature heavily again!!

I`m glad to start this Pre trip report now as we are already more than half way through September, and we have just over 8 weeks to go.....so I hope you read along, please join in and enjoy it, it`s always lovely to read comments along the way, we have so many lovely posters on here that make these trip reports what they are.....

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Hi Carole!
Always a great read!! Can’t wait for another trip report.
Brenda

 

[schumigirl]

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For the second part of our stay we will be spending 6 nights at the beautiful Royal Pacific Resort.

It is hard for us to choose how many nights to stay in each place when we split a trip, and quite possibly the reason for so many at Sapphire, just might have to do with a certain Strong Water Bar!!! Maybe...

I will admit, after a couple of cocktails, it is nicer to just wander back to our room at Sapphire instead of that "long" few minute walk back to RP!! I jest of course, it is the shortest of walks in reality, but we can get a little lazy late at night

This hotel was the first experience we had of the Universal hotels and we were so impressed and it was on our first sight of the hotel inside we knew this was going to be somwhere we`d stay on any future visits. There was just something about it for us and the more we stayed and the more we got to know folks there, the more we felt at home and loved it more and more each trip.

The elephants were one of our first sights and thought it looked so impressive and very unique in a hotel.

Who says you can`t smell an image!!!

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And of course we get to see their beautiful Christmas tree again this year.

This image below shows when the chefs used to build up a gingerbread house display with Universal themes running through it. The chefs would work on it every day leading up completion and would happily chat to guests about what they were doing. It was very clever and the concentration on their faces while they worked was quite astonishing and most of them could carry on a conversation at the same time. I hope they bring this back one day.

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The lobby of course is very different now from what it was way back in 2009, it`s brighter and lighter and very pretty, but there was something very warm about the decor before the refurb.

Immediately we loved the refurb, but it did split opinion for many people, we do like the change, it was needed, but the dark hand carved wood features that are gone now are slightly missed, it was stunning and there are still some remants of the old design around.






(not my picture)




The furniture in the picture below was also placed in the area that used to host the Concierge and ticket area, it now hosts Tuk Tuk, all the furniture seems to have been repositioned in the back areas of the hotel and doesn`t look quite so bulky down there. This area is now the newer concierge desk.

Then and now...

The rooms have changed the most in our mind, they were quite dark before with the furniture being very dark and heavy looking and the rooms were definitely needing an update!

The standard queen room felt overloaded with the huge unit that hosted the tv and coffee machine.

Way back then there were no fridges in ever room but they did host a mini bar that had prices that would frighten the French for everything in them! They listened to what guests wanted and now every room in the resorts has a fridge which is a much better use of space and a fabulous addition for guests.

















The King Suite at RP is lovely, it`s not huge but it gives one a decent amount of space, especially when it`s just the two of us. But, even with three we find it ample for space and you have the double closet space too which is ideal for us.

The closet holds a very small safe in every room, it really doesn`t hold much but will hold basics and does hold an ipad upright. There are safety deposit boxes of various sizes behind the front desk if you need to store anything valuable, they give you a key and they keep a key which you produce when you want something out as well as ID and you sign whenever you take something out or close it out. It really is ideal and we keep our passports and other things in there while we stay.

The famous barn style door is also a subject for consternation among guests, some love it, some hate it. We don`t mind it, really doesn`t bother us at all, but we`ve been together forever and I can see where privacy issues may come up if you`re sharing the room with someone you may not know very well. But, for family, well, for most families, it`s fine.

I like the shower and toilet are separate from the wash basin, I can dry or straighten my hair, put make up on while Tom is still in the shower. It`s not as big as the Sapphire Suite in Sapphire Falls, but we love this space too.

I do buy my own hair and shower gel products when we stay, but the ones on offer in the hotels are very nice indeed and I use them until we get to Publix to pick up what we need, they really are nice and have a lovely aroma.

For those with hair, or wives with hair, the hairdryer is very good. I have fine hair, but there is a lot of it so it takes some time to do, however this dryer suits me just fine on our stays.

Housekeeping has always been absolutely fine for us whenever we stay in either hotel, we are lucky and are usually done first thing in the morning, sometimes while we were gone for breakfast. So we have no complaints there either.




More to come with RP.....

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[schumigirl]

Hi Carole!
Always a great read!! Can’t wait for another trip report.
Brenda

back Brenda.......


I`m so glad you`re here for this one too, it`s always a pleasure to see you post along and I do hope this one is a good read too......

 

[Matty123]

along Matty!!

This isn`t my picture below, got it from the net. It was years ago we went in to see it, the picture I have is blurry so won`t post it. Yes, it is inside the fitness centre.

lol.....I do see why folks love them and yes, it would be better without other folks.....


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Good to see you post, hope you enjoy this one and hope you have another lovely stay at Royal Pacific

Thanks so much -- so kind of you to take the time to post a picture! I'll be sure to look on my next trip.

I'm generally just a lurker, but I really enjoy your trip reports and find them very helpful. Thanks again!

 

[schumigirl]

Thanks so much -- so kind of you to take the time to post a picture! I'll be sure to look on my next trip.

I'm generally just a lurker, but I really enjoy your trip reports and find them very helpful. Thanks again!

You`re very welcome!

Well, thank you and I`m very glad you posted, there are so many lovely posters on here and their posts make it so much fun to write them along the way, so please don`t be a lurker, it`s good to have you along

 

[saskdw]

Can’t wait to make that walk over the bridge to the front entrance at RPR!!
It’s been 6 long years since we’ve made that walk.

we ate at Jake‘s one night last trip, but didn’t go in the front.

 

[schumigirl]

Can’t wait to make that walk over the bridge to the front entrance at RPR!!
It’s been 6 long years since we’ve made that walk.

we ate at Jake‘s one night last trip, but didn’t go in the front.

Really???? It`s been 6 years since you stayed at RP.....I thought you had been there more recently than that, but yes, you`ll be more than ready for sure, there are very few sights nicer to see when you arrive at RP......especially in the Holidays

And just for you......a little reminder, not that you`ll need it of course.......

 

[saskdw]

Really???? It`s been 6 years since you stayed at RP.....I thought you had been there more recently than that, but yes, you`ll be more than ready for sure, there are very few sights nicer to see when you arrive at RP......especially in the Holidays

And just for you......a little reminder, not that you`ll need it of course.......

2018 we made some major home renovations so we didn’t go.
2019 I made a career change and didn’t want to spend the money.
2020 & 2021 the Covid restrictions hit.
2022 You still had to wear masks on planes and in the park. We didn’t want to spend a ton of money to have to wear a mask.

Then 2023 when we went to book there was no discounted rooms at RPR and we got 30% off at PB For the Stay More Save More promo for staying over 7 nights. In hind sight I would have rather paid full price for RPR.

I booked the room at RPR for this trip in October 2023. I wasn’t taking any chances!!

 

[schumigirl]

2018 we made some major home renovations so we didn’t go.
2019 I made a career change and didn’t want to spend the money.
2020 & 2021 the Covid restrictions hit.
2022 You still had to wear masks on planes and in the park. We didn’t want to spend a ton of money to have to wear a mask.

Then 2023 when we went to book there was no discounted rooms at RPR and we got 30% off at PB For the Stay More Save More promo for staying over 7 nights. In hind sight I would have rather paid full price for RPR.

I booked the room at RPR for this trip in October 2023. I wasn’t taking any chances!!

Yep, makes sense! Our flight in 2021 when we came back after covid, we had to wear masks on the flights, it wasn`t fun. But CC were reasonable and as long as you didn`t make a fool of them, they were ok with you taking it off for a time, eating, drinking and so on. But, it was so much better when all that went out the window....

But, at least you have RP booked and you know you`ll be back. I`m not sure why I thought you were there more recently....

It`s a shame you didn`t enjoy PB after such a wait between stays, yes, I`d rather pay full price for something and enjoy it.

 

[KathyM2]

Yes, we love Thanksgiving in the US, I think we`ll be doing one of the hotel buffets again, they are so beautifully laid out.

I love American Thanksgiving too. We have our Thanksgiving in Canada in October, and it's okay, but Canadians don't go as big with it as the Americans (like with everything else too lol)

They listened to what guests wanted and now every room in the resorts has a fridge which is a much better use of space and a fabulous addition for guests.

This is great. I think a lot of hotels are putting the fridges back in. It feels really cheap to me when hotels don't have them because it's like they are trying to make sure you have to buy all your food from their overpriced stores and can't keep it fresh.

 

[schumigirl]

I love American Thanksgiving too. We have our Thanksgiving in Canada in October, and it's okay, but Canadians don't go as big with it as the Americans (like with everything else too lol)

This is great. I think a lot of hotels are putting the fridges back in. It feels really cheap to me when hotels don't have them because it's like they are trying to make sure you have to buy all your food from their overpriced stores and can't keep it fresh.

You know I always forget for some reason that there is a Canadian Thanksgiving, yes, it doesn`t seem to be as promoted as American TG. I did Google what date it happens as I honestly didn`t know.

I agree, they were always a rip off in every country we ever visited. I do remember in one hotel in Austria about a million years ago, we were checking out and the lady said we had a mini bar charge for two items of what would be around the equivalent of $100, which was a lot back then, we laughed and said we hadn`t even opened the mini bar. We didn`t have to pay and I always wondered if this was a worldwide scam that some folks might not dispute. So, yes, having a fridge for folks to make use of is a much better idea, even if you just want to store water or wine in it.

 

[schumigirl]

ORCHIDS SUSHI RESTAURANT​

One of the many things we love about RP are the food options we have there. Excluding Strong Water which for us is the pinnacle for food and drinks, the restaurants here suit us perfectly and the one we love best here is Orchids Sushi restaurant.

Chef Dan has worked here forever and every visit we have had has never disappointed. The sushi/sashimi options are beautiful, they also have specials on every evening and they are always something a little bit special.

People always ask us if we have tried other places and yes we have, some are nicer than others, Seito Sushi was nice, but it missed something and Nagoya has very good sushi too, that would be our second choice for suhi. But, never Cowfish!! Burgers are decent, but their sushi is among the blandest I have ever tasted, the the exception of their Tuna & Avocado-Tini, that was lovely and had a nice little kick to it. I`d order than again a dozen times over.

The location is hard to beat within RP, off the main lobby and it`s also perfect for dropping in for just a drink if you feel like it, they have an extensive wine, beer, cocktails and sake menu and staff are always so lovely in here too, some have worked here a long time.

It went through an extensive refurb a few years back and they made a lovely job of it, with the stunning chandelier as their centre piece which will catch anyone`s eye as you wander in to have dinner or drinks. I found it hard to envisage it when it was being described to us and drawings didn`t help, but when we saw it, we thought it was beautiful.

It is lovely just sitting at the bar or one of the tables, usually you don`t have to book here, but at busy times, it is always a good idea. The busiest we have ever seen it was during the hurricane when we were all stuck in the hotel, but they managed amazingly well and no one waited too long for food.

It didn`t always look like that though and pre 2020 it had a rather different look, it was much warmer looking and more in keeping with the aura of the hotel in general, however those chairs weren`t always as comfy as they looked and they absolutely needed changing!!

There was a small bar at one end and the smallest tv screen in a bar anywhere, now they have added a full size screen on the wall which is huge and very popular when there are sports being shown and a very nice sitting area has replaced oversized sofas and what was a lot of wasted space.

This also doubled as a space for grab and go breakfasts at one point and it was always busy whenever you passed through it, but they did need a better option for breakfasts in such a large hotel.

There weren`t many seats available at the sushi bar to watch them create those lovely dishes back then, there are far more now and it is a much better use of space for sure.

It feels forever since it has looked like this, but it`s only been a few years now. I do prefer it the way it is now, but do have fond memories of the original style of decor.

TUK TUK​

And the answer to the need for an exclusive Grab and Go food option for RP was Tuk Tuk Market.

This has been a phenomenal success for the hotel, it`s always busy no matter the time of day, you very rarely see it empty and at certain times the line can be massive. We`re very rarely down there at the breakfast rush, but have heard it is indeed busy!!

They serve food, hot and cold all day with all the amenities of a grocery store too where you can pick up potato chips, gelato or a last minute bottle of wine as well as the usual teas,coffee and soft drinks. It does host one of the machines that offers drinks refills and the cup to go with it.

They sell all sorts of food items for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we have tried a couple of their sandwiches and salads and they are very nice and they have a very nice cake and muffin selection too.

There is a decent sized area for eating inside, it`s not huge but ideal if you don`t want to grab and go, we`ve never seen it busy, but I guess we don`t come down at the times it is mobbed!

A lovely lady named Angela spoke to us in May and said she had only been visiting RP for a year and couldn`t imagine what the place looked like before Tuk Tuk, I told her I had a million pictures of the whole hotel before the changes, so I said I`d try and post some.

I guess there are a lot of folks who won`t know what it did look like, and it was completely different beforehand.

It sits on the footprint that was the Concierge and ticket area, and it is a much better use of the space as there was a vast expanse that lay empty most of the time. So it wasn`t difficult to imagine a grab and go fitting in here. We did see it when they had everything stripped out and it was completely bare and we saw where everything was going to be, but it was hard to imagine even with the artists impression, it looked smaller somehow when it was bare.

For a time, not even two years they introduced a new way to use the EP and it was to have a separate image on a flimsy piece of paper and you`d show that at rides to get on rides faster. Well, it was a half decent idea, but I`m sure many that used this system all thought the same.....the picture you got in no way looked like the person you were in real life!!!

I swear Tom looked like John Lennon in one picture and Mick Fleetwood in another.......... I won`t say what my two thought I looked like in one image they were correct!! But, I think most folks were glad when they changed it back to only room keys and Universal introduced the Biometric system they still have now.

As well as your picture for EP, you could pick up tickets from a real person if they were there or use the automated machine as pictured below. We did hear many a curse word from folks using these.....lol...I don`t think they were very user friendly!

This area also hosted the car rental desk, so it was a one stop shop with concierge tucked over on the other side, it really was a vast space going to waste and seemed to be crying out for something useful going in it`s place.

Apologies if this is really boring, but Angela, I hope you like the pictures from several years ago.



More to come....

 

[disneyseniors]

ORCHIDS SUSHI RESTAURANT​

One of the many things we love about RP are the food options we have there. Excluding Strong Water which for us is the pinnacle for food and drinks, the restaurants here suit us perfectly and the one we love best here is Orchids Sushi restaurant.

Chef Dan has worked here forever and every visit we have had has never disappointed. The sushi/sashimi options are beautiful, they also have specials on every evening and they are always something a little bit special.

People always ask us if we have tried other places and yes we have, some are nicer than others, Seito Sushi was nice, but it missed something and Nagoya has very good sushi too, that would be our second choice for suhi. But, never Cowfish!! Burgers are decent, but their sushi is among the blandest I have ever tasted, the the exception of their Tuna & Avocado-Tini, that was lovely and had a nice little kick to it. I`d order than again a dozen times over.

The location is hard to beat within RP, off the main lobby and it`s also perfect for dropping in for just a drink if you feel like it, they have an extensive wine, beer, cocktails and sake menu and staff are always so lovely in here too, some have worked here a long time.

It went through an extensive refurb a few years back and they made a lovely job of it, with the stunning chandelier as their centre piece which will catch anyone`s eye as you wander in to have dinner or drinks. I found it hard to envisage it when it was being described to us and drawings didn`t help, but when we saw it, we thought it was beautiful.

It is lovely just sitting at the bar or one of the tables, usually you don`t have to book here, but at busy times, it is always a good idea. The busiest we have ever seen it was during the hurricane when we were all stuck in the hotel, but they managed amazingly well and no one waited too long for food.

It didn`t always look like that though and pre 2020 it had a rather different look, it was much warmer looking and more in keeping with the aura of the hotel in general, however those chairs weren`t always as comfy as they looked and they absolutely needed changing!!

There was a small bar at one end and the smallest tv screen in a bar anywhere, now they have added a full size screen on the wall which is huge and very popular when there are sports being shown and a very nice sitting area has replaced oversized sofas and what was a lot of wasted space.

This also doubled as a space for grab and go breakfasts at one point and it was always busy whenever you passed through it, but they did need a better option for breakfasts in such a large hotel.

There weren`t many seats available at the sushi bar to watch them create those lovely dishes back then, there are far more now and it is a much better use of space for sure.

It feels forever since it has looked like this, but it`s only been a few years now. I do prefer it the way it is now, but do have fond memories of the original style of decor.

TUK TUK​

And the answer to the need for an exclusive Grab and Go food option for RP was Tuk Tuk Market.

This has been a phenomenal success for the hotel, it`s always busy no matter the time of day, you very rarely see it empty and at certain times the line can be massive. We`re very rarely down there at the breakfast rush, but have heard it is indeed busy!!

They serve food, hot and cold all day with all the amenities of a grocery store too where you can pick up potato chips, gelato or a last minute bottle of wine as well as the usual teas,coffee and soft drinks. It does host one of the machines that offers drinks refills and the cup to go with it.

They sell all sorts of food items for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we have tried a couple of their sandwiches and salads and they are very nice and they have a very nice cake and muffin selection too.

There is a decent sized area for eating inside, it`s not huge but ideal if you don`t want to grab and go, we`ve never seen it busy, but I guess we don`t come down at the times it is mobbed!

A lovely lady named Angela spoke to us in May and said she had only been visiting RP for a year and couldn`t imagine what the place looked like before Tuk Tuk, I told her I had a million pictures of the whole hotel before the changes, so I said I`d try and post some.

I guess there are a lot of folks who won`t know what it did look like, and it was completely different beforehand.

It sits on the footprint that was the Concierge and ticket area, and it is a much better use of the space as there was a vast expanse that lay empty most of the time. So it wasn`t difficult to imagine a grab and go fitting in here. We did see it when they had everything stripped out and it was completely bare and we saw where everything was going to be, but it was hard to imagine even with the artists impression, it looked smaller somehow when it was bare.

For a time, not even two years they introduced a new way to use the EP and it was to have a separate image on a flimsy piece of paper and you`d show that at rides to get on rides faster. Well, it was a half decent idea, but I`m sure many that used this system all thought the same.....the picture you got in no way looked like the person you were in real life!!!

I swear Tom looked like John Lennon in one picture and Mick Fleetwood in another.......... I won`t say what my two thought I looked like in one image they were correct!! But, I think most folks were glad when they changed it back to only room keys and Universal introduced the Biometric system they still have now.

As well as your picture for EP, you could pick up tickets from a real person if they were there or use the automated machine as pictured below. We did hear many a curse word from folks using these.....lol...I don`t think they were very user friendly!

This area also hosted the car rental desk, so it was a one stop shop with concierge tucked over on the other side, it really was a vast space going to waste and seemed to be crying out for something useful going in it`s place.

Apologies if this is really boring, but Angela, I hope you like the pictures from several years ago.



More to come....

Oh Carole, I had to laugh at those pictures they used to require! I thought we were the only ones who were not photogenic, and we did not look like ourselves. I think I had frizzy hair one time and looked like Clarabelle the Clown The new system is much,much better. Honestly, I dont know how they could tell who we were from those pictures????
I love looking at those old photos of RPR, and I remember most of it.

 

[schumigirl]

Oh Carole, I had to laugh at those pictures they used to require! I thought we were the only ones who were not photogenic, and we did not look like ourselves. I think I had frizzy hair one time and looked like Clarabelle the Clown The new system is much,much better. Honestly, I dont know how they could tell who we were from those pictures????
I love looking at those old photos of RPR, and I remember most of it.

lol....they were dreadful weren`t they!! Yes, the biometric imaging is much better, thing is everyone used to come away from that machine laughing and comparing whose picture was the worst of their group!!!

I`m glad you like the pictures, I tend to forget so many folks won`t have seen how RP used to be.

 

[schumigirl]

JAKE`S AMERICAN BAR​

On the lower level at RP they have two restaurants, both have been rather wonderful at times and we`ve also had poor experiences at both places at times.

Jake`s was the first restaurant we ever at in at RP and it was back in the days when Islands hosted the Character dinners and our first night Scooby Doo wandered over to Jake`s with Shaggy and we were thrilled as Scooby has always been a favourite cartoon character.

Food was exceptional and the menu was very different back then apart from a few dishes that have remained all the way through the years, although some have slight variations now.

One of their best dishes has always been their burgers, recently that changed as they seemed to have cheaped out on what was an exceptional burger, but last visit I had a burger and it was much improved again, so hopefully with new management it`ll get back to where it used to be.

Jake`s used to have live music on the weekends, but that hasn`t happened for many years now which is a shame as it suits something like that on the weekends.

The decor will be changing soon, at some point but for now it`s decorated and themed to Jake the Pilot and his plane still resides in the waterway, it`s a decent little story and I do wonder how they`ll theme it when it changes eventually.

It is quite a dark restaurant, but it`s quite cosy, they never used to really require you to reserve, but more and more folks are reserving, however we`ve never had to and always managed to get a table.

Or of course you can sit at the bar and enjoy either just drinks or some food too.

They open from 11am for food and open all the way through till late, it used to be 2am, but since covid they now close earlier, I think 1am last time I looked. You can also get takeout from here too.

There are seats outside and it is very beautiful to sit and enjoy the waterfalls, ok they`re not huge waterfalls but it is very pretty and although the walkway passes by, it`s never too busy generally where you don`t feel you`re sitting on a sidewalk.

ISLANDS RESTAURANT​

On the other side of the lower level is Islands, RP`s main table service restaurant which is very much Island themed with their menu which is lovely.

Again, the decor is quite dated now and is very much in need of a revamp, despite it being quite a warm welcoming place, it does need updating.

Islands opens for breakfast and they do a lovely buffet set up or you can order off the regular menu. They don`t serve lunch but will open at 5pm for dinner and on certain evenings they offer the Wok Experience as an alternative to their regular menu.

This used to be better than it is now, they used to offer more options with sauces, offer different soups instead of just one, have extra toppings for the stir fry and have a wonderful selection of desserts. I can`t see us doing the Wok Experience now, probably will stick to their normal menu if we do eat in there again.

I`d love them to bring back the Character meals again, over the years they offered it we met Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Gru and two of the Minions, Shrek and Fiona and The Simpsons and they were great fun.

Islands is a lovely place to enjoy a really nice dinner, I`d definitely recommend the Buffet Breakfast they offer and you can add in bottomless Mimosa`s or Bloody Mary`s for an extra cost of course

BULA BAR​

Out of all the hotels, we do prefer RP`s Pool Bar over the others, may Sapphire`s would edge in there too, but this one has the single best chicken nachos of any pool bar around!

The food here is excellent and has it`s own little theme going with their food too. Again it has changed a lot and some of the sandwiches we used to enjoy have all gone too, but they have plenty to offer, especially their bbq pork sandwich and their Huli Huli chicken sandwich, those are amazing!!!


















As well as the tables, you can also order from your sunlounger, staff come around and take your order for drinks and food and they will let you know that the 18% gratuity is included with your order.

Another place we`ll highly recommend!!




Club Lounge chatter coming right up

 

[saskdw]

I think we've eaten at Jake's at least once every trip. We've always had decent food there.
A couple times the service was really slow and they didn't seem that busy, but nothing that would keep us from going back. A good place to eat when you don't feel like leaving the resort.

Last trip even though staying at PB we ate there and then wandered over to Strongwater for a couple drinks. That was the night a shared a picture of me enjoying a Carole's Punch!

Amazingly enough we have never eaten at Islands. I think we might try the breakfast buffet the trip.

 

[disneyseniors]

Thanks, Carole, for the updates on the restaurants at RPR.
I was thinking of either Jakes or the Bula bar on our arrival day. We should get in about 1pm or so, and will definitely be starved after the plane trip!
I also didn't know that the Islands had a breakfast bar. That's one thing that we might do, although we like to get up and going first thing, so maybe just TukTuk??
I looked for some of your older TR's and didn't find too many, but will check again. I need to brush up on all things Universal for my daughter and myself

 

[schumigirl]

I think we've eaten at Jake's at least once every trip. We've always had decent food there.
A couple times the service was really slow and they didn't seem that busy, but nothing that would keep us from going back. A good place to eat when you don't feel like leaving the resort.

Last trip even though staying at PB we ate there and then wandered over to Strongwater for a couple drinks. That was the night a shared a picture of me enjoying a Carole's Punch!

Amazingly enough we have never eaten at Islands. I think we might try the breakfast buffet the trip.

Yes, service has been questionable at times, our last two visits though were back as they should be and food was really good too. It is ideal when you feel like a quietish night and not going too far.

The breakfast buffets at both RP and Sapphire are very good, I think you`d like them.

lol...I remember your picture from there!!! Yes, it`s quite a short walk to get over there.....thank goodness.....

 

[schumigirl]

Thanks, Carole, for the updates on the restaurants at RPR.
I was thinking of either Jakes or the Bula bar on our arrival day. We should get in about 1pm or so, and will definitely be starved after the plane trip!
I also didn't know that the Islands had a breakfast bar. That's one thing that we might do, although we like to get up and going first thing, so maybe just TukTuk??
I looked for some of your older TR's and didn't find too many, but will check again. I need to brush up on all things Universal for my daughter and myself

Either would be fabulous Ruth, yes I imagine you`ll be ready to eat when you arrive.

I`ve never tried the breakfast options from Tuk Tuk, but it`s always busy enough so maybe a sign they`re all good. Yes, the Buffet would be time consuming for sure.

All my Trip Reports are listed at the bottom of all my posts....that`s the links to them, so you have them all on hand whenever you have the chance to look at them