Trip Report Our Journey to the Dark Side, plus a little bit of Disney...June 2018 **Completed**

We're back!!

Who: Me (Amy), the hubby (Brian), and our three kids, Logan (15), Lily (13), and Owen (10)
Where: Universal Orlando (Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Hard Rock Hotel) plus one day on Disney property
When: Sunday, June 10 - Saturday, June 16

I was bad and didn't take notes this trip, so my pics may need to speak for themselves at times!

Sunday, June 10
Brian and I got up at midnight to start getting ready. We had the kids up and ready and the car packed by a little after 1:00am. The drive was so much better this year than last! Some of it was that we chose to drive through the night, but we didn't hit any major construction either, which helped a lot. It was even smooth sailing through Atlanta!! We brought granola bars, Nutrigrain bars, OJ, and apple juice and ate breakfast while driving. We also packed lunch items and ate quickly at the Florida Welcome Center. We made it in plenty of time for OJ this year!
20180610_120855 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180610_121053 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

First sighting of Universal: Volcano Bay and Cabana Bay Beach Resort:
20180610_153119 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180610_153129 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We pulled in about 3:30pm, so we made it in a little over 14 hours (took us closer to 17 last year!!).
20180610_153332 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

More Volcano Bay pics:
IMG_7602 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
I love that the Leaping Frog actually looked like a frog!
IMG_7603 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7604 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7605 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7607 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7608 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7609 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7610 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7611 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7612 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
I think this was part of the kids area:
IMG_7613 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
The next picture was inside the volcano. They had stations were your TapuTapu would do "magic" things. It was actually pretty cool!
IMG_7615 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[becca_]

I'm here! I love Lily's glasses!

I seriously need to go to Universal but I can't seem to get away from Disney

 

[TheMouseFan]

I'm here! I love Lily's glasses!

I seriously need to go to Universal but I can't seem to get away from Disney

Thanks for reading! She had 3 or 4 people tell her that they liked her glasses on the trip too! You definitely do need to check out Universal! I am done with it now for awhile and can't wait to get back to Disney!! I already told the kids we have to go back to Disney before we can ever return to Universal!!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Like I said at the beginning of the report, I didn't take any notes, so the next little bit is kind of a guessing game about what happened when!! I believe we went to the lazy river next.
DSCF1282 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1283 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1284 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1285 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1286 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1287 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1288 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1289 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1291 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1292 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
This was the exit from the lazy river:
DSCF1293 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1294 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

Then we hit the fearless river which required everyone to wear a life jacket because it had a wave section, a rapids section, and just a general swift current. We had a lot of fun and went around twice.
This is the entrance:
DSCF1295 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1296 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1297 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1299 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1300 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1301 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

The kids wanted to hit the wave pool next.
I didn't intentionally get the kids in this picture, but I love that I did!!
DSCF1302 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
That's our cabana right next to the volcano!
DSCF1305 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Here's a closer view:
DSCF1306 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
DSCF1308 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We let the kids play until we hit our return time for the water coaster again, then it was lunch time!

 

[TheMouseFan]

We could have had our host get food for us, but we decided to explore a little while we decided what to eat and then just bring it back to the cabana to eat in peace and comfort!
We found foot long hotdogs on a pretzel bun with pineapple salsa that sounded delicious! Owen and I split one and Brian got his own.
IMG_7619 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Logan had a pepperoni flatbread and Lily had white cheddar mac and cheese.
IMG_7620 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Good choices all around!!
We just hung out relaxing for a little bit.
IMG_7621 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_124122 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_124147 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_124614 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7623 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Then I took the kids to reride the aqua coaster, the tube slides, and the fearless river while Brian stayed in the cabana to recover from the drive down. I didn't take the camera with me, but this is what we returned to:
IMG_7625 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We sent the kids down to the wave pool while Brian and I relaxed in the cabana for awhile. Another pic from in front of the volcano that I took while we were trying to locate the kids in the wave pool:
IMG_7626 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
We found them!
IMG_7629 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

Next it was time to do a little shopping while the kids dried off! I had to, of course, take pics of the scenery along the way and in the shop!
IMG_7631 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7632 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

Then we had to stop for a treat before leaving!!
IMG_7633 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7634 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Brian and I shared a waturi fusion, Owen got his own waturi fusion, Logan had banana soft serve, and Lily got chocolate with sprinkles.
IMG_7635 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7636 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7637 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7638 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We ate them on the way back to the cabana where we gathered our things and made our way back to the car.
IMG_7639 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7640 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

I made the kids stop and let me get pics of the entrance since I didn't get them first thing in the morning!
IMG_7641 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7642 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7643 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7644 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7645 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

Final thoughts on Volcano Bay: We loved it!! I am not a water park person at all, but I would definitely return to VB and spend another whole day! As much as I love Disney, VB blew TL and BB out of the water! I think what I liked most was that there were so many rides we could do as a family, instead of 1 in each of the Disney water parks. I still like the TL wave pool better, but overall, VB wins hands down! The only thing I didn't care for was the lack of signs and maps to figure out where everything was. It took us awhile to get our bearings and be able to easily navigate the park.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I got a good deal on Universal's Photo Pass package ($59 for 5 days, instead of the normal $79 for 3 days, and a couple of prints were included), so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I was not impressed and likely won't be purchasing again if and when we return to Universal. It was a hassle to get it activated at Volcano Bay, and then they couldn't even give me the card so I had to wait in line again later that day in one of the regular parks to get my card. They screwed it up and it had to be fixed later in the trip. You had to wait in line after every ride to have them scan your card or it wouldn't go to your account. And that's just the beginning! I really appreciate the Memory Maker experience after this trip!! Anyhow, here are a few of the ride pics we got at Volcano Bay:
62999_061118_000309168 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000309141 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000309083 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000308725 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000308740 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000308389 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000308406 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000306924 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000302754 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000302723 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000299818 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000299969 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000297975 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
62999_061118_000297716 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[LisaBelle]

I’m here! The cabana looks heavenly! My husband and I are not water park people either, but that cabana just might be the ticket! We can get out of the sun and relax when we aren’t in the water. It’s too bad their photopass system was such a pain. Looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Loving this so far! We stayed at Cabana Bay shortly after it opened, and I think they were still working on half of it, so I love seeing how it looks now. You've got me wanting to go back to Universal! Maybe someday...

 

[TheMouseFan]

I’m here! The cabana looks heavenly! My husband and I are not water park people either, but that cabana just might be the ticket! We can get out of the sun and relax when we aren’t in the water. It’s too bad their photopass system was such a pain. Looking forward to the rest of your report.

Thanks for reading! The cabana was expensive, but totally worth it in my book!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Loving this so far! We stayed at Cabana Bay shortly after it opened, and I think they were still working on half of it, so I love seeing how it looks now. You've got me wanting to go back to Universal! Maybe someday...

Thanks! I heard horror stories about Cabana Bay right after opening! They seem to have everything worked out now! We really enjoyed our short stay!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Thanks! I heard horror stories about Cabana Bay right after opening! They seem to have everything worked out now! We really enjoyed our short stay!

I thought it was a little weird they did a "soft opening" before it was actually finished, but I guess there was demand for more hotel rooms. We had a good experience, but we didn't really explore the resort much at all. Walking to the parks was hard though because they hadn't completed any walkways and there was a lot of construction. It must be MUCH nicer with the convenient walkways now.

 

[TheMouseFan]

We left Volcano Bay a little before 4pm and headed to Hard Rock Hotel.
20180611_160901 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_160908 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_160955 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_161009 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

Check in was nice and easy and we found our way to the room. We had a deluxe room that included 2 queen beds and a pullout sofa. There was a large closet/dressing area and a split bathroom. We really enjoyed the layout of the room, lots of space for all of us to spread out and relax!
IMG_7647 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7648 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7649 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7650 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7651 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7652 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7653 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Wall hanging in the sink area:
IMG_7654 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7655 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

It started sprinkling as we were bringing in the last of our bags, so we showered and relaxed while we waited out the rain.

 

[TheMouseFan]

It finally stopped raining about 6:30, but the skies still looked ominous, so we threw on our rain jackets and headed into the parks.
Chandelier at Hard Rock:
IMG_7656 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
A few pics from the walk over:
IMG_7657 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7658 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7659 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7660 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We decided to head into Islands of Adventure so we could have dinner at Three Broomsticks.
IMG_7663 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7664 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7665 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7666 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7667 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7668 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7669 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7670 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7671 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7672 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

It started to rain again on our way, so no pics of Hogsmeade yet other than the entrance to Three Broomsticks.
IMG_7673 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
Some interior pics while we were waiting in line:
IMG_7674 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7675 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7676 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
We tried eating outside on the patio, but it was just too wet!
IMG_7677 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
20180611_192831 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
A few pics from the table:
IMG_7679 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7680 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

Then it was back out into Hogsmeade!
IMG_7681 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7682 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7683 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7686 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7689 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7690 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7691 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7693 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

We made our way through Jurassic Park, as the kids decided they would like to ride Kong since it should be pretty easy on our full bellies!
IMG_7694 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7698 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7700 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7701 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

We were beat from spending the day at Volcano Bay, so we headed toward the front of the park through Toon Lagoon.
IMG_7702 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7703 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7705 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7706 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7707 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7709 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7710 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7711 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7712 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7714 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7715 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

As we made our way through Marvel Super Hero Island, the kids decided they wanted to ride Spiderman. Unfortunately, the screens near the end of the ride were messed up, so it wasn't a very satisfactory ride! Good thing we had three more days to ride it again!!
IMG_7716 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7717 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7719 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7723 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7724 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7725 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7726 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7727 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7728 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7730 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7731 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7734 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr

 

[TheMouseFan]

Final leg of the trip back to Hard Rock:
IMG_7738 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7739 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7740 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr
IMG_7741 by Amy Clingner, on Flickr