RSoxNo1's 11/29-12/10 Trip Report

Don't you LOVE taking newbies? :lol: Taking three of them myself tomorrow for a week.

Sounds like you're having a great time. We'll be in the MK with you on Tuesday ... have fun :wave:

Thanks for the update and enjoy your trip. I look forward to reading more of your trip posts.:wave:

What a great report!!! I am looking forward to reading more!!!!

Thanks for the report. I look forward to reading more in the future!:wave:

Nice report. Here`s to part 2

Great reading whilst sat here in cold dark Oxford...counting down the days until my next trip (Aug 09 for 3 weeks)

Good start - awaiting part 2

Yay for hotel internet and updates for wdwmagic!!:sohappy:

Alas, here's the report for day 2. It's 10:32 as I start writing this as I listen to Britt fill in Jeff C's mother about the day, and to check in on their dog.

We left the timeshare at around 9:00 to get to the Animal Kingdom underneath ominous clouds. I'm sure you all saw in the rumors section that there were tornado warnings. As a result, we missed out on the Tigers in Maharajah Jungle Trek as well as several animals on the safari, and the Meerkats. Some of them may have been hiding as a result of the rain/wind and not necessarily been taken off stage.

We meandered our way through the exhibits near the entrance, and around the tree of life towards Asia. Marie, Ethan and I picked up fast passes for Everest, the wait was 30 minutes at the time, and because of the time of year and the weather, that was the longest wait for the ride at any point of the day (around 10ish).

After that we went over to Dinosaur and all 5 of us rode it. I pointed out the photo spot to Ethan during the ride, and he plans on using that to his advantage on subsequent rides after Jeff H shows up on Wednesday night. The wait was listed at 10 minutes. With pre-show et al it was probably around 10 minutes total to get into the ride.

After Dinosaur we went to "It's Tough to be a Bug" where I took the chicken approach and sat on the edge of the seat. For those of you on ITM, it's definitely not Kevin Spacey as the voice of Hopper, so I assume our collective research was correct, and that it was Andrew Stanton.

We went to the 11:30 Nemo show, we showed up around 11:29, and got poor seats in the front right hand section so part of the stage was cut off. As I've said several times, the show is very will done, but it's hard for it to be a favorite because I really am indifferent towards the music. In the handful of times I've seen this show, I have never seen the Dory stage performer that's in all of the Discovery channel shows. I would also like to acknowledge that the guy that played Crush was very intense.

After Nemo, Marie, Ethan and I went to Everest, while Britt and Jeff C went to Dinorama to win prizes. Afterward, we went to the Yak and Yeti. I had never eaten there before, so it was a new experience for everyone. I got the honey chicken and the cherry limeade, I recommend both. Ethan got the Pho (Soup) and dumped all of the hot sauce in it, his face was red for over an hour after eating it, but on the plus side he has never had clearer sinuses. Marie got the fried wontons for desert and I tried one, they were decent. It was a fried wonton with a cream cheese filling with grilled pineapple and vanilla ice cream on the side. We got into the restaurant at around 12:30. It had started drizzling at that point, but at around 12:32 the skies absolutely opened up. There's gonna be a lot of difficulty cleaning the parks tonight as a result of all the wind and rain, there were leaves everywhere. Fortunately we missed the bulk of the storm while eating. The lobby of the Yak and Yeti was close to empty when we got in, but was shoulder to shoulder by the time we had our table 10 minutes later. I of course took full credit for this, knowing months in advance that it would start pouring right at 12:32 so I made our reservation accordingly.

After lunch we went over to the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Both the Tapir and the Komodo Dragon were pretty active. The Dragon somehow got a small garter snake up it's nose (I'll post pictures soon). Ethan has decided that I hate bats, so that's become a running joke. He has also continued to show off his horrid random animal knowledge as he was humiliated by another cast member in the bat exhibit. Britt mentioned that they could fly into the guest viewing area, I said their wing span is too wide, and Ethan said that they could fly sideways. The cast member who was standing in the back and had been silent up to that point jumped in, "They can't fly sideways." At the tiger enclosure we were told that they were inside because of the tornado warning, apparently people don't need to be warned.

We were planning on going on Kali River Rapids after the Maharajah Jungle Trek as it would probably be Britt and Jeff C's only day in the Animal Kingdom but we decided against it because it had gotten colder and would have made us that much more uncomfortable. They decided to go shopping while Ethan, Marie, and I went back on Everest (I'll have to update my Everest rides to date to 9). We had obtained another fast pass earlier in the day. The Yeti is definitely not working properly, so I'm not sure where that report came from a few weeks ago. It's really quite unfortunate. After explaining to Ethan how the Yeti should work he put together the motion of the track and about where he should swipe at you, but it's really not the same. You can't really see him well at all in the Strobe Light/B mode. One of the waterfalls was working (the one on the right), the bird at the top was not working, but the station steam was working. It should also be noted that Ethan and I rode in the front on the first trip. This was his first time on the ride, and my first time riding in the very front. One of the cool things that resulted from the weather was the high winds that really kicked in at the top of the mountain, for a realistic feel.

After Everest, we all met back at the Lion King. We got held up, so we told Britt and Jeff C to go in, and we'd meet up with them. We got in just as the show was starting and we walked right into the giraffe section, 1 row behind Britt and Jeff C. Ethan hadn't seen the show, but was upset that we weren't in the warthog section. Also, I've seen this show multiple times every year since the park opened, and this is the first time I've seen the guest for the Giraffe section know the noise a giraffe makes. It was a little girl, who couldn't have been more than 4, that made the "low bleating sound." Right before the 2nd or 3rd finale (There's a lot of them in the show) Marie looked at me and said, "they didn't do the tumble monkeys". They were in the show, but the never did the acrobatics. We speculated that it might somehow be related to the weather, but I asked at the end of the show and was told that they had technical difficulties with the stage and it wouldn't open. I posted this in the rumors section as well, they had to cancel two performances in the morning as a result.

After the show we went up to Africa and got on Kilimanjaro Safaris right as the parade was starting at 3:45. We were in the last two rows, and another group of 3 was in the front. There's never any line for the Safari during parade time that time of year. In the past we've gone on, and the driver has stopped, let us take pictures, and ignored the script (which had gotten progressively worse, but I understand why it's there). This driver was not camera friendly, and the only time we really had a chance to take pictures was when he caught up to one of the other trucks on the Savannah. I haven't looked at all the photos yet, but I'll be sure to post them once I get them uploaded. I normally only take photos at the Animal Kingdom, and today was a very light day of photos for me (97 items including photos and a short video or two).

After the Safari, we went to the Pangani Forest trail, had some good views of an Okapi, and a Hippo that was circling in the tank. The hippo was making a lot of commotion right before we got over to the tank, but was basically just circling when we got there. Either way it's fun watching how gracefully they move. The photos I took weren't great because of the dark storm clouds. I also noticed in the insect/reptile room a thing for Spotted Hyenas. I asked the guide in there if this was to recognize the fact that Hyenas were once planned for the Safari. He said that in the type of enclosure that they would be in on the safari, they would be very hard to contain. With animals like the Cheetah and the Lion all the need for containment is water/moat. We continued on to the Gorilla exhibit where we saw the large silver back posing for us. There was a female that walked over as well that Marie pointed out as being pregnant. The guide promptly corrected her, and I was quick to point out that Marie should start pointing at fat people and telling them that they're pregnant. Fortunately she didn't take the easy route and tell me I was pregnant. Shortly after this, we saw something that was certainly worth the price of admission. The male silverback reached his hand behind his back, pooped in his hand, and then proceeded to eat it. There was a feeling of disgust and hilarity that came over all of us. We were laughing too hard to be grossed out. After Pangani, we made our way out of the park (it was around 5:00). We took a quick stop at the Sea Otters before leaving.

We then went over to Epcot and started out on Spaceship Earth. I was so used to the Jeremy Irons version so the change to Judy Dench was a strange transition. Irons was far more dramatic and was almost preachy. Judy Dench is far more light hearted. There are several new animatronics, it seems like they put a lot of the A1's in there. I miss the line, "North, South, East and West, all roads led to Rome", as well as the cheap screen of the horse running down the road. However, I'm sure for someone seeing it for the first time that could somehow compare the two, the current version would be received better. To be honest, the educational rides are definitely stale, and if it wasn't for family tradition, I probably wouldn't see them any more than once a trip at the most. I enjoyed the descent. I know there have been a lot of complaints, but I think the focus is definitely supposed to be on the touch screens. I don't think there should be anything overtly complicated outside of the vehicle, except perhaps video of some of the items in the post show (like the map of where people are from), or perhaps show what's on other people's screens as you often travel with more just the person you're sitting with.

After Spaceship Earth we stopped at Club Cool. Britt and Jeff C were disgusted by the Beverley, Ethan didn't think it was that disgusting. We continued on to pick up Soarin' fast passes for 8:18-9:00. We all went on Living with the Land. I really think this ride needs more up front before the green houses, that area is quite dull.

The Seas with Nemo and friends was next. Britt got agitated by the length of the empty queue. It's a shame because the queue itself is very well done, and I've never had to wait in it at all. After the ride I asked Ethan what he thought (I rode with Marie), and he admitted that he expected a lot more to happen in attractions like that. He specifically said that he expected the shark to jump out at you. I explained that the shark apparently once did jump out at the vehicles (although I don't remember that happening), and that the Angler Fish should be moving very quickly instead of sitting stationary. Thankfully, the images reflected into the aquarium still looks fantastic. It's one of the best new ride effects they've done, and it's not the type that breaks down. After the ride it was on to Turtle Talk with Crush. This is always a fun show, and we all enjoyed it. I didn't get the reference (never saw the movie) but Jeff C just told me to mention that one of the kids in Turtle Talk was named Malakai. Apparently he was in Children of the Corn, which means I don't have many years left...

We went over to Mexico next and I don't think that went over particularly well. There were a few boats ahead of us at unload, and Jeff C released a very emphatic, "finally" as we got out. There was some miscommunication about where we'd be eating as Jeff C thought we were gonna eat inside. I'd never eaten inside the Mexico pavilion, but regularly eat outside of it. I wasn't opposed, until I saw the prices. Britt and Jeff C decided to eat inside, and we ate outside in the rain for half the cost.

Ethan, Marie and I were planning on going on the single ride line for Test Track but it was down due to the rain so we went to Mission Space instead. Marie and I went green team (less intense) and Ethan went orange team (more intense). He wasn't bothered by it at all, but his evaluation at the end of the night was that it was a good ride, but probably shouldn't be considered a major attraction. I think it's on par with Star Tours, not at the level as some of the gate busters.

After this we headed over to Soarin', this is my favorite ride in Epcot, and everyone seemed to like it. The scents were working fine, except in the Orange groves, it smelled like someone farted so it trumped the scent. Either that or someone decided they needed to add fertilizer. One thing I did notice was several black splotches that moved around the screen. I assume this was due to the film being dirty. Let's hope that any new version will be all digital and in HD, to make the ride that much more impressive.

We then rushed over to world showcase to see Illuminations. We missed the intro and the first minute or two, but wound up with a pretty good spot near the boat that transfers people across the lagoon.

It was one of what will be many long days in the parks. The rain/weather was unfortunate, but it helped keep wait times down. By the time we got to use our Soarin' fast pass we didn't need it, but a Test Track fast pass would have been just as useless. The good thing is, Britt and Jeff C have seen most of the items in 3 of the 4 parks, and they have two days left.

Lastly, I apologize if there are any typos in this post. For some reason I don't have a cursor in making this post so it's made things somewhat difficult. We're off to Hollywood Studios tomorrow, and we'll probably end up at Epcot again to watch Neil Patrick Harris and Illuminations.

One question: For the photos, does anyone know of a site that can host larger images. Some of my images are over 5 MB

I'm enjoying your reports! Please keep em' coming. Good thing you saw the male silver back AFTER you ate your lunch.:ROFLOL: Did they do the "peace on earth" finale with RoE? Stay dry and warm. Brent

Photobucket will host large photos.

Thank you for the trip report while being there! Can't wait to see pictures. Photobucket is easy and great so good luck posting!:wave:

Yes, they did the peace on earth finale to illuminations. That's one of the reasons why we go back at this time of year, illuminations is far and away my favorite nighttime show, largely in part to the fact that we typically only see it with the holiday tag.

I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that the charging carnotaurus was working correctly. There's a slight change of plans in today/tomorrow's plans. Today we will still be going to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, but we may not watch Illuminations, and go on a few of the future world rides that we missed (namely Test Track, I'll probably push to go on Soarin' again as that's my favorite).

Here's a photo of the Komodo Dragon scratching his snout on a rock to get the snake out of it.


And the best picture from the Safari, the Ankole/Watusi Cattle


I don't think I'll be bringing my camera today, but the updates will continue.

Great trip report... and thanks for all the updates, we'll be there in two weeks. Looking forward to some photos along with the rest of the report!

Great report!



Oh....Happy Birthday! :wave:

Day #3 12/1/08

Thanks unkadug, I appreciate it. Crowds were heavier today. Touringplans Crowd calender had it at a 6, and Disney's Hollywood Studios was the park to go to. They may have been a little off, but other elements may have factored in.

Today we spent the entire day at Disney's Hollywood Studios after arriving at around 9:30-9:45. Our first stop was to Toy Story Mania to pick up fast passes (I think we wound up getting them at 9:55 as our next fastpass was available at 11:55). The line was at 40 minutes, and our fast pass return time was in the 1:45-2:45 range.

After getting the fastpasses we saw that a showing of the Little Mermaid was about to go in, we waited about 5 minutes and then saw the show. Later on in the day I heard a father making fun of his son in the bathroom for wanting to see The Little Mermaid, I laughed. The show is still good, I remember when it was a major headliner for the park though, so it's popularity has definitely waned. I definitely don't see this every year, but when traveling with newbies you like to show them as much as possible. With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if this is replaced shortly after the rumored Little Mermaid rides comes to Fantasyland.

After Little Mermaid we went to the Great Movie Ride. I still enjoy this, but I think some more modern movies would help. We probably waited 15-20 minutes for this. Mugsy had a little trouble getting are vehicle started up again, but I don't think anyone but Marie and I noticed. Ethan also made friends with a guy from Boston who was sitting in front of us. He was around our age (mid 20s) and traveling with his parents, so I think the guy was just bored.

It was around 11:20 when we went over to see Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. It was at standing room only, which surprised me. We wound up getting seats on the far left side when everyone was asked to move in. Ethan's Boston friend was one of the volunteers.

After the show, Marie went to Tower of Terror to get us fastpasses. The time was 3:55-4:55, while Rockin' Roller coasters distribution was a lost closer to the actual time. We didn't understand it but Tower of Terror had a longer wait than RnR all day. There was an explanation that will be stated later (also in the rumor mill).

We had lunch at the Prime Time Cafe, our waitress was awesome, fully in character. I was yelled at several times for my elbows being on the table. Ethan was yelled at for tattling on me for having my elbows on the table, and when are waitress sat at the table, and rested her elbows on the table, Ethan called her on it, and she was quick to say, "It's may table, I can do what I want." After I gave her trouble, she was joking with an adjacent table saying they should through stuff at me. One of the young girls at the other table took this as an opportunity to shoot a spitball at me, she missed, and it landed on Ethan's plate. There wasn't an apology from there table, but Ethan had no problem getting a new plate of food the next time the waitress came over, but we felt that kinda crossed the line from the other table.

After lunch we walked past Toy Story mania and it was down. It was only a few minutes before our fast pass, but we were planning on going to the backlot tour first anyways. We went on the tour, Ethan got a little wet from Catastrophe Canyon, and all told it's still enjoyable, but definitely could use some work (or replacement). Marie went to get a fast pass for Rock 'N Roller coaster while we got drinks and went to the bathroom.

We all met up again at Toy Story Mania. Marie had the high score at 142k, Ethan was at 135k, Jeff C at 132k, I was at 95k, and Britt was at 86K. I enjoyed the ride, but it's definitely tiring. I wasn't getting enough shots off, my accuracy was at 36%, Marie's was at 33%, but she took far more shots than I did. Hopefully my learning curve will be higher as my masculinity has been called into check.

We got in line early for Lights, Motors, Action to get in the center section, I know the show isn't as popular on these forums, but I enjoy this show. I wanted to exit out the staircase that's closest to Catastrophe Canyon, but I couldn't get the others to follow me. If you haven't done it, this stairwell allows you to see the water tanks on Catastrophe Canyon, and how fast they refill.

We went to see the Muppets after this, we were cut off at the entrance as the preshow area was full. I was happy about this so that the newbies could see the full preshow. I've seen the show dozens of times, and enjoy it. The video seemed cleaner, as all the images were very clear. I looked out for Miss Piggy's head popping off as she's pulled across the water, as I never noticed it before. We also spotted the soldiers during the finale that were pantsless.

After the Muppets, Ethan, Marie and I headed towards Rock 'N Roller coaster while Britt and Jeff C wandered around the shops. We met up shortly thereafter, getting dinner (Turkey legs for Marie and I, Burgers for the other 3), and then we headed into Fantasmic. Britt, Ethan and Jeff C felt like rebels bringing in the trays, but nobody seemed to have a problem with it. We got to talking about the show, and it seems that this, moreso than anything else on property would really mess with someone on hallucinogens (See Knocked Up: Cirque de Soleil on Mushrooms). Also, I'm convinced that they blow up Mickey at the end of the show.

After Fantasmic, Britt and Jeff C shopped their way out, while Ethan, Marie and I went on Tower of Terror. The wait was listed at 1/2 an hour, we had fast pass, and we wound up waiting about that long. Turns out they were doing maintenance on one of the elevator shafts all day (possibly longer), which was causing the longer lines throughout the day. If anyone has any more info on this refurb it would be helpful for our trip.

I think I may be getting some items in the Tower of Terror store, either hand towels, a bathrobe or both. Something subtle, but still a nice touch.

Tomorrow is going to be a pretty light day as Britt and Jeff didn't want to do too much on their last day. As of right now, the plan is to start the day at Downtown Disney, and then head over to Epcot to finish up some of the things they've missed.

Tuesday 12/2/08

Heh, it's funny how the replies drop when this is moved from the rumors thread. Today was Britt and Jeff C's last full day, they fly out tomorrow morning. We left the timeshare at around 10 and headed to downtown disney.

We went to World of Disney, The Lego store, Goofy's Candy Company, Once Upon a Toy, and The Art of Disney. I was planning on buying paper poster size prints of the Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion attraction posters to go along with the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean that I already have. After shopping we went to the T-Rex Cafe, and sat in the Aquarium section. The food was good, the atmosphere was entertaining, and waiter was very friendly. After we payed the check he dropped by our table again to find out if any one of us was having a birthday. Of course, everyone pointed to me, so shortly thereafter several waiters/waitresses came over to sing their birthday song to me. It finishes off with a growl by all of the waiters/waitresses. Ethan saw this before hand, and joined in.

After Downtown Disney we head over to Epcot. We got in around 3:30-4:00 and headed right to Test Track to get fast passes (Britt and Jeff C would wind up not using theirs).

We went to Ellen's Energy Adventure after that. I had forgotten that it was 45 minutes long (I was thinking more in the 30 minute range). This is something that we do at most once per trip, I enjoy it, but I actually think the Dinosaur portion is somewhat irrelevant to the story. Needless to say, this was met with mixed reviews at best.

Britt wanted to buy some things for friends at Club Cool so we stopped in there before making our ways around World Showcase.

We stopped at Maelstrom first, and much to my dismay we stayed to watch the film. I haven't seen it in years, and I believe the video changed I vaguely remember the old plot, "we fished, we struggled, we had a parade, that's 5 minutes of your life you're not getting back."

Next stop was Reflections of China. Not really at the top of my priority list, but Britt and Jeff C wanted to see and do as much as they could in the countries.

After this we went to see the Candlelight Processional with Neil Patrick Harris. For those of you that haven't seen this, the celebrity does about 1 minute of "free form dialogue" up front, and that's it. Everything else is very scripted, and the focus is on the music. We try to see this every year, although if I had my way, I'd probably pass. The singing is very good, but the spiritual music isn't really my thing.

After the Candlelight Processional we went to see the American Adventure. As you may have gathered, I'm not exactly a fan of world showcase. I don't mind walking through, and eating there but I don't get too much out of the attractions. I don't mind the American Adventure, of course Golden Wings is inspirational, but if I think the history of our own country as presented by Disney is stale, my views of the history of other countries will also be stale. Ironically, at the end of American Adventure, Ben Franklin remarks about seeing our country through rose colored glasses - it seems that The American Adventure does just that. Personally, I'd like to see it focus more on the revolutionary war, and the birth of our nation.

We grabbed a quick dinner at the America pavilion. Britt and Jeff C finished touring the countries (but couldn't get into either Canada or France for the shows). Marie, Ethan and I went to Test Track, and then walked onto Soarin' at 9:26. As a result we skipped Illuminations

At the end of the day I asked Ethan, Britt, and Jeff C what some of their favorite things were. Ethan's favorite was Tower of Terror, and he also enjoyed Toy Story Mania, Expedition Everest, Fantasmic, Buzz Lightyear, and Soarin'. Britt's favorite thing was the dinner they had in Mexico, and she also enjoyed Club Cool. Jeff C's favorite thing was Toy Story Mania.

The plan for Wednesday is to be out by 8:00 AM, bring Britt and Jeff C to the airport, and then Marie, Ethan and I will head to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. At around 10:30 PM we should be picking up Jeff H, who will hereafter be referred to as Jeff. Talk to you guys later...

Thanks for the updates! I enjoy reading them, so please keep posting.:wave:

Wednesday 12/3/08

I'll try to keep this one short today, despite all we did.

We were out of the timeshare a little after 8, dropped off Britt and Jeff C at MCO, and then went from the airport to Universal Studios. We were in the parks a little after 9. We started at the main park. The crowds were non-existent, 5 minutes for everything with the exception of the Dr. Seuss Train ride which had about a 10 minute wait. The Macy's Day parade comes on December 6th, so we may try to go back before then so as to avoid the crowds, we were able to get through everything we wanted to in both parks by around 5:15.

First stop was The Simpsons Ride. I love the interior, I'm not much for simulators (neither is Marie, she actually sat out). Both Ethan and I enjoyed the ride, it's a step up from Star Tours, and now where near is nausea inducing as Back to the Future. This may have been aided by not having any milk for breakfast, bur just a banana, and then some Dramamine shortly before getting into the park.

The next stop was Men in Black, Alien Attack. Marie won at around 121k points. We all pressed the Red Button, and I think I actually lost points as a result.

We were planning on just doing a big loop around the park, but Jaws (11:00) and Disaster (10:30) weren't open yet so we made our way over to The Mummy. I enjoy this ride, but as a coaster it's somewhat unsatisfying. It really is about the whole experience.

We turned back around and headed back to Disaster. For those of you that don't know, this was the replacement to Earthquake. The ride portion itself is very similar, but the set up is different. We're at a fictitious Action Studio that's run by a character played by Christopher Walken. They cast extras for some video footage for an upcoming fake film called Nature that we get to see on the subway after all the explosions, earthquakes, and flooding. Some notes about the preshow. There's an effect where it appears that Christopher Walken is walking around a set right there with you. It looks very good except his face may be a little too well lit. Every other part of his body looks very believable as actually being there. They have the image interact with props, knock stuff over, hand things to the cast member, it's really impressive. The next step is where all the extras are used. One of the extras (in this case a young girl) was asked to lean against a wall, and look at "The Rock", which was a rock dangling from the ceiling. Later on in the " Nature" trailer, she's looking at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson instead. Marie and I didn't catch this gag, but Ethan did. The subway scene seemed to be the same, except they added a runaway subway car (or I didn't remember it from the last time I saw it).

After Disaster we went back to Jaws. It was a little before 11, but they were letting people on. Our tour guide resembled Chloe O'Brien from 24.

We stopped to get a snack (it was a little after 11), and then headed over to the Animal Actors show (11:30). They change this show relatively often. I was disappointed that they didn't include the Orangutan anymore.

We were right by E.T. so we did that, and went over to Terminator. However, the next show wasn't until 1, so we got some food at an Italian place back by Disaster (I don't remember the name). It was only after I ordered Fettucini Alfredo that I realized it was probably a bad idea before I went on a bunch of roller coasters at IOA. After lunch we went back to Terminator, and then headed over to Islands of Adventure.

We went to Marvel Superhero Island first. Ethan and I waited for the front of The Hulk. I'm about 1 pound away from needing the fat guy seat, probably a sign that I need to get some exercise.

Unfortunately, Marie didn't want to go on any water rides, and most simulators make her sick, so she didn't do any of the next 4 rides.

We went on Spiderman next, this is my favorite ride in Islands of Adventure, and I'm guessing I'm not alone there. It's very well done with the effects, even though the story line might be slightly muddled. It's the same basis for most themed rides... good triumphs over evil.

We continued around the park and Ethan and I hit up the water rides. Marie was smart, and recognized that it was in the mid 60s, but Ethan and I being guys, ignored this logic. Popeye and Bluto's barge is the best rapid ride I've been on. I like how it doesn't rely on one big splash to soak a few people, but rather uses a variety of different rapid runs that get everyone wet. I debated taking my shoes and socks off, I didn't, and immediately regretted it.

Even though we wore ponchos, we were soaked, so we continued on to Dudley Do-Right. I don't remember this ride being so uncomfortable. It was ridiculous. The fit is very tight, and although I'm a big guy, I'm only 5'9'' and the discomfort was in having to straddle the seatback in front of me. I really don't think this seat setup works at all. I won't be going back on this when we return to Universal (either tomorrow or sometime later in our trip).

The walk around the park continued as we hit up Jurassic Park next. We didn't get wet at all on this, less than a normal splash on Splash Mountain. I'm pretty sure they curb the splash on this during colder times of the year.

There's a lot of work being done between Jurassic Park and The Lost Continent on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. What appears to be the main castle is missing the facade, but the building itself seems to be complete. We didn't remember a bridge connecting the two lands, so I'm assuming that what we saw from the bridge in front of Dueling Dragons was also new.

I haven't been on Dueling Dragons in years, after my brother in law and I went to IOA, and did both of them back to back. Since then, I haven't gone on any inverted coasters for fear of getting sick. We went on Fire today, and I was fine, but I wasn't about to hop in line for Ice right after that. We'll hit up Ice on the next trip.

We were planning on going to Poseidon's Fury after this, but the wait time said "next show 30 minutes". Ethan and I went to the Cat and the Hat (Marie doesn't like the spinning), and then we came back just in time to catch the Poseidon's Fury show. During the entire time the wait time never changed, but Marie struck up a conversation with the cast member outside and he knew when to alert us to hurry back. Ethan was buying a mug. He's decided to get mugs from every location that has one with his name on it, which has been far less than you'd think. We were disappointed by Poseidon's Fury because the best effect, the semicircular water walk way wasn't on. Marie also seemed to remember some fire effects in the first room that also weren't working. We asked the cast member outside why it wasn't on, and he said, "do you want the real answer?" He then proceeded to tell us that Universal is going green. I asked if it was a waste of water to do that, and he continued with something that indicated it had nothing to do with going green. They were trying to stay in the black. Everything is getting cuts because they're expecting people to wait until 2010 to visit for Harry Potter while 2009 will likely be a down year, even with Rip, Ride and Rockit opening in the Spring. I may still return at some point in 09, but will definitely return in 2010. I'm indifferent towards Harry Potter, but I think every theme park enthusiast is looking forward to this, as it's the biggest thing since Everest. One last thing, from the lost continent. Apparently the highly recommended Mythos restaurant is only available for lunch, so we may try to do that for lunch next time.

After Poseidon's Fury we went to the Dr. Seuss Train, I'm guessing that the Casey Jr. Circus Train in Disneyland is similar to this. Not really worth it, unless you have kids.

We headed out after this, possibly to return tomorrow with Jeff. We were told that attendance will pick up to the 25-30 minute wait per ride length when they start doing a Grinchmas at IOA and the Macy's Parade at Universal Studios. This starts on Sunday December 6th.

We got back to the timeshare, I took a nap while Ethan and Marie watched some TV. Ethan had been growing out a beard for about 2 1/2 weeks, and as he's part werewolf, it was pretty thick. We had been joking about how he should shave it. They woke me up around 7:45, and of course Ethan had a Fu Manchu. We went to Hooters for a nice classy dinner, and I made Ethan buy a Hooters hat that said "Motorboatin'" on it, to complete the ensemble. Here's a picture:



I normally only take pictures at the Animal Kingdom, so unless there's a special request, odds are you won't see many shots of anything but animals in here.