Trip Report Magical 10th Birthday Celebration

Who: Hubs, Jet and Me!

What: We booked this trip last January before the world went mad. We considered canceling about 50,000,000 times. We needed this trip and the special one on one time with Jet. Ninja, Bear and Handsome were excited for a weekend at Nana and Pawpaw’s.
Where: 3 nights at Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Yes, you read that right we cheated on Disney and visited Universal.
When: November 19-22
Why: 1 day at Hollywood Studios (we couldn’t go to Orlando and not visit Disney), 2 days Universal Resort. My girls loves Harry Potter and finished reading the story 3 days before our trip.

 

[Darstarr]

I rode them closing my eyes for pretty the entire time. My motion sickness is really screen based. I can ride actual rollercoasters (like The Hulk) with zero problems.

My husband is the same way. We went to Universal a few years back and he HATED it as there was nothing for him to do.

And I agree, Simpsons is the worst

Buuuut, lately, I have been pricing out Uni vacays. Right now there is no benefit for staying on Disney property, so why not try something different? (Plus, hubs has watched all the HP movies multiple times since our last visit so now there is something for him “to do”)

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

My husband is the same way. We went to Universal a few years back and he HATED it as there was nothing for him to do.

And I agree, Simpsons is the worst

Buuuut, lately, I have been pricing out Uni vacays. Right now there is no benefit for staying on Disney property, so why not try something different? (Plus, hubs has watched all the HP movies multiple times since our last visit so now there is something for him “to do”)

That sounds like a great plan. Last Universal Trip I did minimal screen rides but still kept busy. If the lines for Gringott’s and Forbidden Journey aren’t too long your husband should be sure to go thru the lines and then not actually ride.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

That sounds like a great plan. Last Universal Trip I did minimal screen rides but still kept busy. If the lines for Gringott’s and Forbidden Journey aren’t too long your husband should be sure to go thru the lines and then not actually ride.

Yes to this! The lines are fun. Universal is having all those buy two days get three free. I have been actually trying to convince the hubs we need to go soon however I don’t think I would ever need more than 2 days at Universal. @Darstarr your Hubs could cast spells all day. I do love the 7pm close so you can walk through Citywalk for dinner and drinks.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

Since we were tired we decided to boat back to the resort. A very drunk gentleman who was wearing a chin diaper (Hubs term for people who wear their masks down) was pretending to be captain. He was cracking jokes that no one laughed at. The ACTUAL captain kindly asked him to step aside and he complied. The ride was quick and uneventful after that. When we got back I picked up our items we had purchased in the park the day before. It was obvious the boat ride had refreshed Jet. She wanted to swim. It was overcast and 75 too cold for me but she has her dad wrapped around her pinky. They changed I decided to go down relax poolside with a drink but not swim.

When we got there ducks were swimming in the pool. These were not cute Disney Ducks. These were demonic ducks. I was minding my own business FaceTiming Bear while Jet and Hubs swam. The ducks decide to take flight however one of them decides to fly right into my face!!! A team member happened to be walking by carrying new towels. She tossed the towels and ran over to check on me. My forehead/eye were a little swollen afterwards but I was fine. It was sooo strange and the Hubs has used a million duck jokes since. Now I know why @riverside isn’t a fan of birds!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I'm trying really hard not to laugh about your duck. That's crazy!

 

[riverside]

The ducks decide to take flight however one of them decides to fly right into my face!!!

Now I know why @riverside isn’t a fan of birds!

OMG--I cringed as I was reading this!! I feel for you, girl....

They are inconsiderate to say the least. All that room & space to fly & it feels the need to come right at you. Why???

I think this is where my fear comes from:
Growing up there was a husband & wife that lived 4 houses up from us(I grew up in the city so houses were literally right on top of each other). Stanley was his name. Stanley fed the birds--like constantly. Every day, all day. What did he attract more than anything(keep in mind, we're in the city)--pigeons!! The sounds coming from them when there's 100's of them together is plain freaky. My mom's definition of a pigeon is "a rat with wings"!! She was so right!!

Anyhow, I was walking home from school one day(I was probably only 7 or 8) & 100 or so of Stanley's closest friends were on his sidewalk--that I needed to walk on--4 houses away from mine. I was petrified & knew that if I even attempted to scare them away chances are one would end up coming towards me b/c there were so many. I knew I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself so that was out of the question. I turned around & walked around the whole entire block to get to my house b/c I was so scared. I told my mom & she (nicely) did let Stanley have it. It really was gross & unsanitary. I'm pretty sure that's where my fear/dislike comes from.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

I'm trying really hard not to laugh about your duck. That's crazy!

That duck was nuts! I still can’t believe it did it.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

OMG--I cringed as I was reading this!! I feel for you, girl....

They are inconsiderate to say the least. All that room & space to fly & it feels the need to come right at you. Why???

I think this is where my fear comes from:
Growing up there was a husband & wife that lived 4 houses up from us(I grew up in the city so houses were literally right on top of each other). Stanley was his name. Stanley fed the birds--like constantly. Every day, all day. What did he attract more than anything(keep in mind, we're in the city)--pigeons!! The sounds coming from them when there's 100's of them together is plain freaky. My mom's definition of a pigeon is "a rat with wings"!! She was so right!!

Anyhow, I was walking home from school one day(I was probably only 7 or 8) & 100 or so of Stanley's closest friends were on his sidewalk--that I needed to walk on--4 houses away from mine. I was petrified & knew that if I even attempted to scare them away chances are one would end up coming towards me b/c there were so many. I knew I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself so that was out of the question. I turned around & walked around the whole entire block to get to my house b/c I was so scared. I told my mom & she (nicely) did let Stanley have it. It really was gross & unsanitary. I'm pretty sure that's where my fear/dislike comes from.

Poor rule following 8 year old @riverside ! Jet and Bear would have done the same as you. Handsome and mama would have broke the rules and walked in the road. My ninja would have plowed through birds, poop and all!!! I am surprised someone didn’t call the city on that guy. That’s what would happen in my suburb.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

We ducked out of the pool, showered and got ready for our 5:30pm dinner reservation at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium. We went down to the boat dock about 5:00pm and were on our way. About 5:15 I received the following. You can see my confusion in the text. They were trying to give our table away before our reservation time.

We arrived at 5:25pm and they acted like we were late and were unsure if they could seat up. Finally a nice employee saw reason and sat us at our actual reservation time. Jet ordered the Southern Fried Chicken BLT, Hubs Chicken Bourguignon and I ordered the Chicken Bercy. We all loved our food but I was flustered and have no pictures.

if you look in this pic you can see where my eye is swollen.
The whole reason Jet wanted to come here was for the shakes.
She had the “That’s Mint”, Hubs “Espresso Buzz” and I had the chocolate creme brûlée. All sooooo good.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

The park was open until 10pm so we were making our way back into Islands of Adventure. The whole park seemed so much more festive at night. We made our way to Hogsmeade and Jet and I were both overcome with emotions. It was so pretty!

Our goal for the night was to ride Hagrid’s again and to go through the whole queue of lines instead of Express passing through them.

First up was the Forbidden Journey

We loved seeing Dumbledores office and all the talking paintings. I was so happy we waited the 40 minutes to get the full experience. After our ride we made our way over to the Hagrid’s ride. We had back to back Virtual queues (multiple members in your party can get them). We hopped in the walk on line. When we jumped in line Juliet had so much fun talking to the Mystic Fountain that wished her happy birthday, it’s the little things. The line moved so quick. I had no chance to take pictures except this one.

We rode twice and loved every minute. Rides are so much better at night.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

It was 9:00pm and we wanted to make another visit to Diagon Alley so we said goodbye to Hogsmeade and boarded the Hogwarts express. Again Diagon Alley was so festive at night.

we made our way through the regular queue of Escape from Gringotts and again were so impressed with Universal for these detailed queues. A group of teenagers were in the front row of our car. Team members asked one of them twice to pull his mask up over his nose. Finally they just made the group of them get off the ride. I was impressed with the Team members but did feel bad for the other kids who were complying with the rule.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

By the time we got off the ride it was 10pm and the park was closing. We sadly said goodbye to Diagon Alley and started making our way out of the park. We didn’t realize there were fireworks. So we stopped to enjoy the Fireworks and celebrating our girls double digit day.

We enjoyed the walk back to the hotel savoring the warm weather. The forecast at home was chilly. Jet fell asleep exhausted but happy.

Our flight was at 7:30am. We scheduled an early morning Uber who was quick and punctual. We messed up at the airport and hopped on the wrong fonorail which meant a double dose of security.. Our flight was quick and painless.

We picked up our other kiddos and puppy. They loved their chocolate frogs and every flavor beans however most of all they loved being back together. A sleepover in the guest room was required.

 

[Sillysidewalker]

Wrapping everything up

I am so thankful we were able to take this trip. Making and sharing these memories with Jet during this terrible year was a highlight. She’s growing up so fast and this one on one time is going to be harder to come by.

Our Disney Day was so relaxing. I never thought I would say that about a day at the parks. The lower crowd levels really changed the entire atmosphere for us. I know some people feel like the magic is missing. I know for people who go more than once a year the missing entertainment and fireworks could make it seem hollow. However for a family who only goes once a year it still felt worth it. Cast members like the gentleman at Slinky Dog Dash still try to make a child have the best day ever and that’s the magic I keep coming back for.

Universal outdid itself with the Wizarding Worlds. I am such a fan of the books and to see it come to life was so impressive. The remainder of Universal was meh. Too many simulators/4D rides for me. I do love how walkable the resorts are.

This was the shortest trip like this we have taken. I was worried it would feel rushed and we wouldn’t enjoy our time. That wasn’t the case at all. We prioritized what we wanted to do and had a blast. We felt safe in both parks from a health and safety perspective. There was only one time I didn’t feel safe and I spoke up to the family behind us who quickly corrected their action. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to speak up but 9 times out of 10 people will be courteous.

So that’s a wrap. I’m still trying to find a way to squeak in a trip during 2021. My 40th was going to be a BIG extended family Disney trip which has changed to Sedona. We have been considering Memorial Day but we are going to see how things develop.

Thank you for reading along.

 

[RememberWhen]

Wrapping everything up

I am so thankful we were able to take this trip. Making and sharing these memories with Jet during this terrible year was a highlight. She’s growing up so fast and this one on one time is going to be harder to come by.

Our Disney Day was so relaxing. I never thought I would say that about a day at the parks. The lower crowd levels really changed the entire atmosphere for us. I know some people feel like the magic is missing. I know for people who go more than once a year the missing entertainment and fireworks could make it seem hollow. However for a family who only goes once a year it still felt worth it. Cast members like the gentleman at Slinky Dog Dash still try to make a child have the best day ever and that’s the magic I keep coming back for.

Universal outdid itself with the Wizarding Worlds. I am such a fan of the books and to see it come to life was so impressive. The remainder of Universal was meh. Too many simulators/4D rides for me. I do love how walkable the resorts are.

This was the shortest trip like this we have taken. I was worried it would feel rushed and we wouldn’t enjoy our time. That wasn’t the case at all. We prioritized what we wanted to do and had a blast. We felt safe in both parks from a health and safety perspective. There was only one time I didn’t feel safe and I spoke up to the family behind us who quickly corrected their action. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to speak up but 9 times out of 10 people will be courteous.

So that’s a wrap. I’m still trying to find a way to squeak in a trip during 2021. My 40th was going to be a BIG extended family Disney trip which has changed to Sedona. We have been considering Memorial Day but we are going to see how things develop.

Thank you for reading along.

I’m so sad that your trip (report) is over! You all seemed to have such a nice time. You’ve given me great ideas for future one-kid trips. I really hope we can make them happen. Our oldest is 8, second 3 and third on the way, so the kids are pretty far apart. We’re thinking maybe when they’re each 13 (will that be too old?!) as a bar/bat mitzvah celebration. Whether it works out for my kiddos or not, I look forward to future reports about trips with your kids! Have a safe and happy new year!

 

[Sillysidewalker]

I’m so sad that your trip (report) is over! You all seemed to have such a nice time. You’ve given me great ideas for future one-kid trips. I really hope we can make them happen. Our oldest is 8, second 3 and third on the way, so the kids are pretty far apart. We’re thinking maybe when they’re each 13 (will that be too old?!) as a bar/bat mitzvah celebration. Whether it works out for my kiddos or not, I look forward to future reports about trips with your kids! Have a safe and happy new year!

I hope you can make them happen too! Our other kids have been plotting their 10 year old trip since we returned. I considered pushing this off to 13 since that is such a milestone birthday however I felt like Jet was in a sweet spot. She still adores us (instead of being a moody teenager). She is very mature so a good conversationalist but I can’t still see glimmers of 5 year old Jet in there. Congratulations on baby #3 so exciting!

 

[RememberWhen]

I hope you can make them happen too! Our other kids have been plotting their 10 year old trip since we returned. I considered pushing this off to 13 since that is such a milestone birthday however I felt like Jet was in a sweet spot. She still adores us (instead of being a moody teenager). She is very mature so a good conversationalist but I can’t still see glimmers of 5 year old Jet in there. Congratulations on baby #3 so exciting!

Thanks! My 8yo is basically already a moody teenager. Hopefully a couple extra years will let him mature a bit...
Were half hoping we can make a late summer trip happen, but if not, we’ve got a mid-October trip booked. I hope you all can get there in the spring!

 

[Darstarr]

Loved the TR and it had me googling Uni trips!! Well done!

 

[Tuvalu]

The pictures of Jet with the fireworks behind her.

 

[MickeyCB]

So we stopped to enjoy the Fireworks and celebrating our girls double digit day.

Thank you for sharing your trip, and I absolutely love this photo!!

 

[Sillysidewalker]

The pictures of Jet with the fireworks behind her.

Coming from a fellow fireworks lover that means a lot.