"MAY INCLUDE RUM"..14 NIGHTS SAPPHIRE FALLS.. MAY `19 TRIP REPORT

[schumigirl]

Yay. Spending my last few hours of annual leave reading trip reports and gonna follow along here. We'll be almost ready to go when you are coming back so hopefully will have a great time catching up

Our plans are fairly loose this trip, last 2 we've done Disney and are few up with having to be at the parks at specific times, so apart from Space Camp we are Lucy goosey. Though I'm assuming himself will fancy making a skydive or 2 when we are there(so far he claims not, but has just had everything repacked and copies made of all his paperwork )

Glad to hear it!

I usually start fairly quickly after we get home, but won’t complete it till later as I’m going to New York for a week early in June.....so that’ll interrupt it a little.......

Lucy goosey.....lol......yes, taking it easy is always good! Skydiving sounds like so much fun......I wanted to do it years ago for charity, it was a tandem jump......but Tom for the one and only time in all our almost 30 years together asked me very nicely if I would mind NOT doing it......lol......so we stuck to rallying instead.....he was much happier I was in solid ground....although upside down a few times! Long time ago now.......

But, love the sound of Space Camp!! Kyle would have loved something like that........

 

[schumigirl]

.

 

[Tink2Day]

Yay!! Almost time for me to go on another trip (in your suitcase....uh maybe not, it would be waaay overweight).

Somehow I knew you had reservations to Ocean Prime, I also remember how much you enjoyed Seito Sushi, Fernando recommended that one didn't he?
It looked really yummy.
Don't worry about repeat pictures, they are always appreciated!

Starting your countdown I would imagine, so much fun and excitement.

 

[schumigirl]

Yay!! Almost time for me to go on another trip (in your suitcase....uh maybe not, it would be waaay overweight).

Somehow I knew you had reservations to Ocean Prime, I also remember how much you enjoyed Seito Sushi, Fernando recommended that one didn't he?
It looked really yummy.
Don't worry about repeat pictures, they are always appreciated!

Starting your countdown I would imagine, so much fun and excitement.

And a warm WELCOME for Tink2Day...….

Glad to see you here.....

Oh I wish you could fit in our cases.....but, I think they already may be bulging again!!!!

Yes, Ocean Prime we have missed last few visits, so really looking forward to that one....and Seito Sushi was a must do again.....and, you get 10 points for paying attention on the last report...… yes, Fernando was spot on with that one....I was glad we met him before we went there that evening.....

Yep, getting this close means higher than usual excitement in our household...…..hope you enjoy this one too......

 

[nolaginabina]

Hi, Carole! I have read and enjoyed all your trip reports so much. I hardly ever post on here anymore, but I realized I will be in Universal/Disney at the same time as you this trip! Here's hoping maybe we run into each other at the parks! Have a wonderful trip, I can't wait to read your trip report. You make my day with your fun updates and beautiful photos.

 

[schumigirl]

Hi, Carole! I have read and enjoyed all your trip reports so much. I hardly ever post on here anymore, but I realized I will be in Universal/Disney at the same time as you this trip! Here's hoping maybe we run into each other at the parks! Have a wonderful trip, I can't wait to read your trip report. You make my day with your fun updates and beautiful photos.

A very warm WELCOME to you nolaginabina

How lovely to see you post here...….I`m so glad you did!!!

I`m so happy to read you enjoyed the reports.....and absolutely, if you see us please stop to say hello......it would be lovely to say hi.…..

Hope you have a lovely trip doing both parks...….I`m guessing the nola is for New Orleans? I`m guessing of course, but I`m sure I`ve got that one right...….

And of course, hope you enjoy this one too......

 

[nolaginabina]

Yes, indeed, New Orleans born and raised. I lived in Ocoee, FL, just outside Orlando for 8 years. Moved back to New Orleans 4 years ago for family reasons. I miss it so much. Probably one of the reasons I love your trip reports, you and Tom hit so many of my favorite old stomping grounds. It's so good to see them again. I miss it so much!

 

[schumigirl]

Yes, indeed, New Orleans born and raised. I lived in Ocoee, FL, just outside Orlando for 8 years. Moved back to New Orleans 4 years ago for family reasons. I miss it so much. Probably one of the reasons I love your trip reports, you and Tom hit so many of my favorite old stomping grounds. It's so good to see them again. I miss it so much!

Oh I know what you mean...….when I see pictures of places I used to live in Scotland, particularly as a child, I get very nostalgic....it`s always lovely to see images.

Maybe you`ll get back one day to stay.....although New Orleans is supposed to be beautiful.....not a place we`ve ever thought to visit, not sure why.....Tom says it`s because I hate Jazz.....lol...…

There really are some lovely places around and outside of Orlando.....little gems like Mount Dora shouldn't be missed......

 

[disneyAndi14]

I am for sure joining in, my place is reserved and the popcorn will be ready!!

OMG those food pictures from Ocean Prime and the Sushi place are seriously beautiful food porn!! I love it

I sure hope this trip is another wonderful adventure for the traveling duo never separated Carole and Tom!!

 

[schumigirl]

I am for sure joining in, my place is reserved and the popcorn will be ready!!

OMG those food pictures from Ocean Prime and the Sushi place are seriously beautiful food porn!! I love it

I sure hope this trip is another wonderful adventure for the traveling duo never separated Carole and Tom!!

WELCOME along Caroline……

Glad to see you here...….lol....never separated....that's funny!!

Oh my goodness, yes, the food in both those places are exceptional!!!! We are so looking forward to going back to both again...….I don't know which one we are looking forward to the most......

Yes, I hope you enjoy this one too......

 

[AprilDreamsOfDisney]

I'm here, Carole! Looking forward to this trip report, and am thrilled you've begun with your "pre-trip" information. I do love your style of writing!

Can't wait for more ... and I suppose you can't wait to get back to Florida - with just less than two weeks to go, I imagine you're just getting all of your laundry put away from your March trip and you're about to get packed again! LOL! What a wonderful thing!

 

[schumigirl]

I'm here, Carole! Looking forward to this trip report, and am thrilled you've begun with your "pre-trip" information. I do love your style of writing!

Can't wait for more ... and I suppose you can't wait to get back to Florida - with just less than two weeks to go, I imagine you're just getting all of your laundry put away from your March trip and you're about to get packed again! LOL! What a wonderful thing!

Yay!!!!

WELCOME to this one too April.....

Thrilled you are here...…

I have a confession...…. I am sometimes the most pathetic person on the planet...….my laundry from the last trip was all done by the second day we were home...unpacked, washed, dried, ironed and put away.....

It`s almost the first thing we do once we get in...after hugging Kyle.....lol......crazy, I know....but I am a little resolute about it.....can`t rest until it`s all done!!

Packing is usually the day before we leave......I get a hard time from folks about that too.....

Hope you enjoy this one too April...…..

 

[schumigirl]

There are so many options for food outside of Universal, and we do try and try as many as we possibly can.....for research purposes of course...…..

And it`s always nice to discover a new place to us......and way back at the beginning of last year we did.

Beth`s Burgers have a couple of places around, but the closest one to us is on Universal Blvd.....about a 10 minute drive from Universal...….we had been told it served excellent burgers, fabulous service and prices were cheap......and they were right on all three counts...…

It is very much a local place, but tourists are definitely welcome...….they remembered us the second time we visited due to our Scottish accents...…

Her tag is proof that a girl can beat Five Guys......clever!!! They did beat Five Guys on a couple of occasions for the best burger...….and as someone who has tried Five Guys Burgers, we do agree with her....Beth’s are better!!!

The menu is large and easy to pick through......single, double or triple burgers are on offer with their ready made options or you can choose from a variety of cheeses, sauces and toppings to complement your choice......also they do amazing sweet potato fries!!!! Regular fries were excellent too.....

We weren't disappointed both times we visited...….we`ve also tried the single and double burger, and honestly the single was more than enough....

You can`t really see the burgers for the toppings.....and they are again more Patty style.....but totally different from those served at Steak and Shake which we didn't find that good...….these were incredibly tasty.....and the variety of options we have chosen so far, we have been delighted with...…

You can take the plastic cups on the table away with you......we haven't as we take back enough souvenirs.....but many people do...

This is one place Tom has expressed a real desire to go back to again......so it`s on the "must do" list this upcoming trip...…..

On the same plaza area is NYPD pizza.

This was the first one of those we went to, and we will go back to this one next time...….the one in Metro West just lacked a little atmosphere.....this one was better...…..

Clean and although the lady on the door was a little......shall we say quiet.....she wasn't rude, nor unfriendly, just lacked a little enthusiasm......but once she took us to our table and we were inside, we really liked it...…..

Again friendly staff with excellent food...….can`t ask for more.

We got the individual pizza and of course customised them and with mine added jalapeno and pineapple....something that wasn't out of the ordinary here......thank goodness!!!!

And I have to say as far as pizza goes, they were fabulous......I particularly liked the base....not too chewy and doughy and not too thin and crispy......and Tom again, has said he`d like to go back to this one too.

On one visit Tom got the Italian sandwich and fries lunch offer......and Tom does love a sandwich...…I think the next visit he was torn between the sandwiches and the pizza...….

Not sure what he`ll go for this time...……

I think they do a special offer on a Tuesday that gives you the buy one get one free on full size pizzas.....I guess those days it`ll be busier and to be honest it would be too much for us, and we don't take it away to eat later......I know I know.....we don't like cold pizza......

One little gem of a place is up in Gotha, and is Yellow Dog Eats...….

One of the more unique, but in a good way places to eat...….we discovered this amazing place a few years ago now.....and laughed when one of the locals told us not to tell too many people about it......I know what she meant......it is very local, but a few tourists do wander up there...…

There aren't a lot of tables inside, a few seats at the bar and most of the seating is outside.....it`s usually too hot for us to eat outside as we much prefer inside with aircon......and you have to be reasonably early......because the line at times is humungous...…..it is incredibly busy and popular.

We have eaten at the bar before and it`s an incredibly friendly place...….the barmaid told the owner who is a great guy I preferred their coconut cake to the one from 4Rivers......he was mighty pleased!!! And it was gorgeous......too rich for one person, we had to share a slice......

The menu is fun and certainly varied...….it is one of the more unusual menus around but when you break it down, it is just a whole load of beautiful ingredients put together in an unusual way.....but so tasty!!!!

Tom chose the ribs one visit and although they look a little dark in the picture they were fall off the bone gorgeous!!!

The best sandwich they do in there for me is the pulled pork with their own barbecue sauce, thick cut brie, bacon, sweet and spicy peppers and jalapenos which were my addition and a raspberry sauce on top...….it sounds a little different, but it was divine...….I wouldn't get the potato strips next time but everything else put together was the best sandwich I`ve ever eaten in my life!!!!

The food is messy and served on a tray with paper on....some folks don't like that apparently.....but wow....the food is fabulous here and this is another of Tom`s must do places......I keep telling him we don't have enough days!!!!!

The cakes are amazing!!!! Simply amazing.

Back in 2007 we found a place so close to Universal that no one seemingly had heard of......we even told a few locals about it....and they were amazed they didn't know about it either...….

Teak Neighborhood Grill.

It used to be called something else, but the name escapes me right now......but the first time we visited we knew we`d be back more often.

It is the beautiful residential area of Metro West, quite honestly a stones throw from the hotel......we have gone for lunch many times and dinner once or twice, but it does get incredibly noisy at night when they have live music on.....

The menu again, is very descriptive and has some very unusual burgers on it......my favourite is and always will the donut burger.....no cheese for me and add jalapenos...….it`s rather dull I guess, but it is perfect for me as I love sweet and spicy together...…..

Tom likes to vary his choices, so tries to get something different every time......and he has only had one thing he wasn't so keen on and that was the cronie burger which was a French donut served with cinnamon which he found rather hard and not the nicest taste...….

I think his favourite was the wholly hell burger......he did actually have to have a tissue as his eyes were watering......that was hot!!!!

Although he does love a burger with a sunny side up egg on it...….

My donut burger...….2 full glazed donuts with the most delicious meaty and juicy burger inside...…it does come with cheese usually, but I always omit that and add jalapenos......it really is stunning like that!!!

And again, just because it is so beautiful...…….

They do have a good menu away from burgers, so plenty of choice for everyone...….and they have an amazing bar with many lovely cocktails to choose from...….and again, staff are very welcoming...….since we have been visiting this place from way back, the service has never been poor and we haven't ever had a meal that was less than perfect.....apart from maybe Tom choosing the wrong dish.....





More dining options coming up...…...

 

[kbelle8995]

I'm IN. Even though I'm more of a James May fan

 

[schumigirl]

I'm IN. Even though I'm more of a James May fan

WELCOME along too kbelle8995...…

Good to see you!!!

Yep, love Captain slow too.....very funny and very clever guy......apparently could have been a professional piano player...…

Hope you enjoy this one too...….

 

[jump00]

Hi Carole,
So thrilled for another trip report!!!!! Loved reading a pre-trip report with some of your favorite things!!!

Brenda

 

[Vicki Rickerd]

We have some lovely restaurants back home of course, …

We do not have great restaurants where we live. We moved from Southern California to the mid-south. I would be perfectly happy to never eat barbecue again. We so look forward to when we travel to other states and this trip I think mom and I plan on spending more time enjoying the cuisine than being on the rides.

Ocean Prime was not on my list, mainly due to not renting a car for our short trip. That bubbles n berries drink might have me calling Uber.

 

[schumigirl]

Hi Carole,
So thrilled for another trip report!!!!! Loved reading a pre-trip report with some of your favorite things!!!

Brenda

WELCOME to you too Brenda........

So glad you made it!!!

Yep, having a thought about food places is one of the few planning things we ever do.......and we love studying menu after menu.........

Hope you enjoy this one too.........

 

[schumigirl]

We do not have great restaurants where we live. We moved from Southern California to the mid-south. I would be perfectly happy to never eat barbecue again. We so look forward to when we travel to other states and this trip I think mom and I plan on spending more time enjoying the cuisine than being on the rides.

Ocean Prime was not on my list, mainly due to not renting a car for our short trip. That bubbles n berries drink might have me calling Uber.

Oh what a shame you don’t have great places to eat.......yes, we enjoy all the places we don’t have in the UK, and we enjoy the best steaks in the USA........and so many other things too......

We always say our Spring trips aren’t as park focussed as September and December so we do enjoy thinking about more offsite food places we can enjoy........so, yes, I get that too........

The Berries and Bubbles is delicious.......yep, would be worth a cab ride.........

 

[schumigirl]

One of the places we were planning on visiting as we had passed in September was O`Charleys……

However, best laid plans and all that...….found out yesterday they have closed down!!!! And seems at one point they had plans to put loads of them in the Orlando area, but have very few.....nearest one is now Jacksonville.....I can`t see us driving all the way over there for a hot sandwich.....although you never know.....

We will miss this place though as their Nashville Hot chicken sandwich was the best and spiciest around.....the barman used to marvel at how I could eat it without flinching as he couldn't eat a chicken tender coated in the sauce...….lol...…

It had a nice bar atmosphere while being family friendly at the same time...….good cocktails!!!!

Also another place that was on our radar for May was Tomko`s Tavern......it`s on Turkey Lake Road too...….and we found out it had closed down too!!!!

Guess it wasn't doing as good as planned as it hadn't been under that name for very long....it had been Dewey`s Indoor Golf and Sports Bar......and I think it`s the same folks that reopened as Tomko`s......so not sure if it`ll reopen as something else soon...….