So, I just joined the forums after learning about their existence during my recent Disney trip. Seeing as I’m some type of gigantic Disney nerd (raised on it like an alcoholic is raised on whiskey), I figured I’d check them out and found this particular forum highly entertaining.
Anyway, I’m going to give my own version of a trip report a go...probably won’t be the greatest, but I highly doubt it will be the lamest.
If you’re the type of person who only reads books with pictures...move along, I lost my cell phone on Day 2 in the front seat of a taxi cab. Would have been super depressing if I had been vacationing in, say, Idaho (sorry potato people)...being in Disney helped ease the pain.
Also, I didn’t take notes (ink related anyway) while on the trip...so this is all coming from memory. Returned home on Saturday with a ton of work waiting on me so I’ll do my best to unearth some of the detailed info amongst the fair amount of haze lingering in the ole cranium.
Let’s roll
Premise: My cousin is a cancer survivor and we were celebrating 3 years of clean scans. His parents were taking him and offered me a spot to keep him company. I, of course, could not deny. We were staying in a studio at the Boardwalk (one for his parents, one for us...we’re not circus folk...no offense to clowns or anything) for four lovely nights. But first...
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (MY GOSH, THE HORROR)
Not sure if talking about that ‘other’ park is acceptable on here or not...but it’s my trip report and I shall type what I please.
It’s a 16 or so hour drive from Houston, TX...so we started bright and early on a Friday morning. Only notable experience during the drive was a pit stop in Ochowakee or something Florida (I should probably look up the correct spelling...doubt that’s really close aside from the ‘O’ at the beginning). Anyway...was shopping for a coffee re-fueling when I spotted a 12 pack of Yuengling...an amazing brand of beer we don’t get down here in Tejas.
I purchase said 12 pack (even though I’m against buying beer at gas stations due to ridiculous mark ups)...only to have it fall out of my grasp in the parking lot...smashing with a cruel shatter into the poorly paved surface. I guess that’s what I get for sending a pic of the purchase to my jealous buddy back home.
We stopped off in Lake City for a night...experienced a debacle of a meal at the local Applebees (seriously, don’t go there. I think even the Coors Light was served incorrectly), went to sleep and woke up, heading for Orlando.
Love the freakin Turnpike...if only they didn’t charge...it would be a perfect stretch of pavement.
We arrived at the Royal Pacific...a nice hotel with a really cool pool area. After checking in and squaring everything away, we walked to the City Walk because running just would not have done the name justice. At ate Margaritaville where I had an Incommunicado (an Orlando tradition ever since I turned 21). After dinner my Aunt and Uncle made their way back to the hotel for some much needed R&R...the cuz and I continued to explore the City Walk.
Wasn’t long before Fat Tuesday experienced a visit my debit card...I snared a 44 Magnum (awesome frozen concoction...a tradition whenever I see a Fat Tuesday). We drank our super masculine daiquiris at an acceptable pace before visiting the night club. Apparently Pitbull was in town performing over at Universal Studios...I watch a ton of college football, so I’ve seen/heard enough of Pitbull.
Danced until 2 am...hopped on the boat back to the hotel, met some hair dressers (apparently a hair convention was in town) and wound up falling asleep around 3am.
Pretty sweet night, right? Sure, until you factor in the 7am wake up for Islands of Adventure the following day. Present me is always screwing over Future me...such a selfish guy.
Walked over to Harry Potter land/world (not sure what the appropriate name is) and did the dueling dragons (I think they have a new name) first. This pretty much KO’d my cousin and uncle (who had his fair share of beverages the evening before). Like a champ, though, I pushed through...rode Jurassic Park, Dudley Do-Right and Popeye...the latter two get you freakin soaked. Swim trunks are a must.
I’m feeling like a beast at this point...enter Hulk. I’m standing in line next to some other single rider (guy in his late 30s)...we’re chatting back and forth, cool guy who loves an adrenaline rush.
Now, I’ve ridden this ride multiple times...but never with a hangover. Let me tell you...not my wisest decision. As soon as the ride ended, my head was pounding and my eyes were full of water. Conversation immediately following the ride with the guy in line went something like this...
Guy: MAN THAT WAS WICKED
Me: *sniffling, attempting to hide my eyes* yea man, that was great.
Upon being released from the coaster’s clutches, I’m pretty sure I sprinted as far away as possible. I met back up with my Uncle and Cousin and we did the new Raptor photo op which was really cool (HUGE Jurassic Park fan over here). We hopped over to the older park via the Harry Potter train which was very detailed and a neat experience. At the original park we sat through the Terminator show (my Uncle’s favorite...I slept throughout...not that it’s boring, I’m just not the kind of guy who can do any show not named ‘Muppets’ more than twice...plus I was tired)...we did Twister (tamer than I remember)...I bought a Duff beer because, well, I had to. Rode the Mummy and was about to be one of those people who ‘don’t learn from their mistakes’ by riding the Rip Ride Rockit...but, divine intervention manifested itself in the form of a light shower.
At that point, my uncle and cousin were ready to leave...so I talked them into sticking around for Transformers (favorite cartoon growing up, had never done the ride) and they did. Fun ride, but I’m pretty sure the actual ride (ie the movements and so forth) are identical to Spiderman. You’re simply replacing Spiderman with Optimus Prime.
We exit the park and unknowingly enter into the cab ride from hell. Guy took about 40 minutes to get us over to the Boardwalk. I fell asleep during the drive which allowed my phone to slip out of my pocket, in between the seats (I was in front).
He drops us off...I step out, groggily wobble my way toward the lobby before instinctively checking each pocket...wallet, check...phone, che...wait a minute! I turn around, rush back toward the drop off point only to see no sign of the guy.
You might be asking why we took a cab instead of using the car that drove us to Florida to begin with. Well, my Aunt doesn’t really dig Universal, so she spent the day checking into the room and preparing it for us (she’s really awesome like that). Rather than wait on her to pick us up, we got impatient and took a cab. Turns out, patience is a virtue.
Spent the rest of the day relaxing on the porch, watching the tip top of the Epcot firework show and trying to figure out what the hell was darting around in the sky. Looked like some kind of drone.
Day 2
Another early start to Day 2 which was met with a better attitude thanks in part to Pleasure Island being no more in the World of Disney.
Off we went to Animal Kingdom with an early Fast Pass for Everest. Fun, as always....first time I noticed all the hair bands situated on the side of the mountain when you’re stalled, staring at the broken tracks.
Almost bought that circular pillow/yeti thing for my little sister...but passed. Found a far cooler gift later.
With an hour until our next Fast pass, we hit up Dinosaur. I’m not too proud to admit this ride used to freak me out as recently as, well, last October. But I’ve apparently matured since then, so it was a breeze. Still love it...I’ve always been enamored with dinosaurs.
Used our second fast pass on Safari...saw two baby Elephants playing around with each other, which was Animal Planet kinds of cool. Tons of rhinos were out...as were the Ostrich eggs which I’m told are real but I swear they’re fake. I mean they are ALWAYS there...you’d think an Ostrich might have a little more dignity or couth to perform that kind of thing behind the bushes or something.
We passed on Kali because I was in shorts and had socks on. Plus I was wearing my really cool Bayou Rum hat and, well, you can’t get your cool hat all wet and stuff...it’s just bad for business.
For some reason our third fast pass was for Festival of the Lion King, and it was much later in the day. So we grabbed some food from the Yak and Yeti counter service station (not sure if it’s officially owned by Yak and Yeti but it’s RIGHT THERE, man...so that’s what I call it)...my aunt vanished for a moment before popping up with a Coca Cola Rum Slushi. She offered me a taste and I accepted because it was a hair past noon and, let me tell you, it was amazing...dangerously amazing. Seriously, unless you own stock in Pepsi, give this thing a try.
We hopped a bus over to Hollywood Studios where we had a Dinner Reservation at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. Sat at the full bar and enjoyed a few beers while waiting on our name to be called...sat down and enjoyed a nice meal. IMO the food is solid, not great...what you’re paying for is the atmosphere and service. It was top notch this go around. She confiscated my aunt’s cell phone (at least she had one to lose), did the whole ‘what color is the soap in the bathroom’ thing and gave us homework (my cousin chose math for some reason).
Food was fine...I had shrimp and macaroni and cheese (special, I think)...I forgot what everyone else had because I’m egocentric, I guess. We did get Onion Rings as a starter, they were good but, ya know, onion rings aren’t the most difficult thing in the world to fry up. All in all, a fun experience worth the money...I’d recommend it, unless you’re the family sitting next to us. A four person family from Arkansas was seated right next to us and the dad didn’t appear to enjoy his meal at all. I think he was expecting more food for his money or maybe a hamburger to be on the menu...regardless, we enjoyed it.
After that, we trekked on over to Tower of Tower and gawked at the 40 minute wait (we usually go in October, so 40 min waits are like alien spacecraft). We made our way to Aerosmith, it was an hour. So, we decided to do the Great Movie Ride. At this point, my Aunt breaks away to do some shopping, much to my Uncle’s chagrin. We take the five minute walk over to Great Movie Ride and get into a 35 minute line...yea, not the best planning.
I’ve done this ride way too many times...can’t wait for the update. My cousin and I kind of gave the gangster a hard time, speaking like an old timey gangster (Listen here, seeeeeee)...he kept in character pretty well.
Afterward, my cousin wanted to go back to the resort to rest up. I found out during this trip he’s not much of a theme park person. Nothing wrong with that, different strokes, different folks. Kept us from doing a whole bunch, but I didn’t mind. I had fun hanging out with him and the rest of his family...plus, I’m at Disney, I can walk around the hotel for hours and enjoy myself (a theory I don’t really want to put to use, more or less an exaggeration of how awesome I find the place).
He took his nap, I hit the pool area and enjoyed a Long Island Iced Tea...took advantage of the community area by playing some free pool with my Uncle along with a dangerous game of Air Hockey (puck kept flying off the table).
He awoke early in the evening, my Aunt returned and we ate at ESPN. Our waitress I think was miscast...that or she was an escaped ghost from the Haunted Mansion. Seriously, she just kind of lurched around, didn’t say much and was super slow. My cousin is a restaurant manager who is endlessly annoyed with bad service...it was all I could do to keep him from freaking out. Food was good, as usual...I eat here all the time, trying to catch a College Football Saturday or NFL Sunday...enjoyed a Purple Haze beer, wondering if Hendrix would have approved over the taste.
After the meal, my Aunt and Uncle (I need to come up with a code name for them...like Unt or Auncle...or maybe Carl.) went to bed, leaving a rejuvenated cousin along my somewhat fatigued side. We toured the Boardwalk, attempting to figure out how we were going to not waste one of our four evenings.
That’s when we spotted Jellyrolls.
This place is AWESOME. I didn’t really know what to expect...I just knew the night was young and I wanted to have some fun. The twelve dollar cover was pricey...but, in hindsight, was well worth it. We walked up to the bar, ordered a couple of drinks and sat down, front row.
The gist of this place is as follows: Two pianos on a stage. Two guys playing said pianos while singing the lyrics to requested songs. In order to get them to sing a song, you hop on stage and place a napkin with the song and artist written on it, along with tip money because, well, you don’t work for free, why should they?
Our first requested song was “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. Next up I wrote down “Alone Again” by Gilbert O’Sullivan and slapped it down, along with a $5 bill. Once they got to my napkin, one of the Pianists was confused, pronouncing it as “And Sullivan”...I yelled out “O’Sullivan” and they instantly knew who requested the tune.
Obviously, the guy who spouted the mispronunciation didn’t know how to play it. So, he asked if I had any others...being placed on the spot, I was sort of speechless. He then, jokingly, asked if I’d like my money back. Don’t joke with a man about his money...I walked up on stage and took it back. The place echoed down in boos at me.
I sat down, absorbing the boos waiting to see what would happen next. Both pianists stared at me like Oliver Twist in line for seconds. I shouted, “Oh alright” and hopped onto the stage, placing the money back on the piano to thunderous applause. The second guy reached into his jar, after I had reclaimed my seat, and handed me 6 ones. I wondered if this was some kind of one-upmanship type of contest...I looked into their overflowing jars and what I had in my wallet and made the fiscal decision that I would not win...not even close.
So, I wrote “Whatever you know” on a napkin and placed it on their piano with their six, along with five more...cause I’m a nice guy.
For some reason, after that, they’d look to me whenever a song was requested, asking if I was cool with it. In gladiator fashion, I’d give them a thumb up or thumb down.
In a really cool moment, the second group (there are two groups alternating) came out...one of them knew the song I had previously requested so he, along with the guy from the original group sang it for me. Pretty awesome, they really didn’t have to do that.
Afterward, as the place was closing up, the two pianists came over and shook my hand and chatted with me a bit, I told them how much fun it was and thanked them for not shoving me off the stage when I took the five back, ha.
Checked out the hot tub area for awhile afterward before closing up shop for the evening...great ending to a fun day.
Day 3
With an early fast pass to Soarin, our destination was set in stone. Took the boat over to Epcot, entered into the side near France and made our way. Having arrived earlier than anticipated, we had some time to spare, so we hopped on Figment (has a more technical name, I know)...pretty cheesy ride, but I’ve been riding it ever since I can remember, so had to do it one more time.
Afterward, we cashed in our fast pass over at Soarin...a must because that line is horrendous. It’s like worse than the American show over in US of A land (joking, kinda).
Ride was smooth and relaxing as always...no annoying jerks taking multiple pictures. I also didn’t notice the hole or stain or whatever in the screen than plagued me last trip. Next up was the Land...a ride which I enjoy more and more (a sign I’m getting older, I guess). Once finished, my Aunt, who is spending the majority of her retirement trying to garden, wanted to take the backstage tour or whatever, giving her a behind the scenes look at their gardening practices and so forth.
Being a bachelor who learned how to garden by shopping inside grocery stores, this interested me very little...same went for my Uncle and cousin. So we hit up the world showcase. Started off with a beer of England...tasty...then the grey goose slushy which I was told tasted great.
Fairly rapid start to the process, so I had to kind of chill a bit or risk falling into the lake and, inadvertently, having my Epcot adventure being written by a news journalist which would then have been plastered all over these forums hence stealing my trip report thunder.
After stalling for a bit, looking into shop and pretending to be interested in tea or kettles...we made our way to Germany where I bought a Grapefruit beer. Amazing beverage...if you drink beer, you have to try this thing...I’m probably going to sneak back there and stick my mouth underneath the tap one day. The subsequent arrest will be so worth it.
Went for a Norwegian beer next...had a nice chat with the girl working the kiosk. She told me a surprisingly interesting story about how her grandparents met. Long story short, her grandfather was captured by the Nazi’s and forced to be a spy. That’s how he met his grandmother. I really do dig how they staff those countries, extremely authentic...really separating the World Showcase from anything else a person can experience in Disney World, IMO.
Had lunch at the counter service Mexican place...I by far prefer this food to the restaurant inside the pavilion. Found out there’s actually inside seating this time...I guess I’m a terrible explorer. Took me eating there four times to realize you’re not limited to outside seating.
Made our way to Spaceship Earth...our pictures were fairly comical. My cousin was asleep for his while I was squinting...guess the flash got me...a nice, relaxing ride that I always squeeze a bit of enjoyment out of...especially when you walk right on, in June.
Judging by his impromptu cat nap, my cousin was ready for another nap, so we made our way back to the room...before exiting, I enjoyed a Moosehead from Canada (my father’s favorite so I had to purchase one for him, seeing as he had to stay home).
We spent the remainder of the day at or around the hotel, waiting for our dinner reservation at Shula’s steak house.
My Aunt and Uncle had dined at Shula’s once before and raved about the food, so, being that I’m a huge fan of cow, I was super stoked to give it a try. Crazy fact...as much as I’ve been to Disney, I’ve NEVER stepped foot inside the Swan or Dolphin hotels. I don’t know why...it’s not like I’m deathly afraid of either animal...swans are perfectly acceptable creatures that give every ugly duckling a semblance of hope...and Flipper always seemed like an a-okay mammal...so, I dunno...I guess they never really sparked my interest.
Both places are top notch...like super nice. I was mega impressed by the interior and the amenities. Shula’s was great, as well. I had the 16 oz New York Strip along with a couple of strange sounding beers. We had three servers, all of whom were superb. I’d recommend dining here if you’re looking for great food and a nice, quiet, dark, classy atmosphere. Don’t let the fact that Shula dominated your favorite NFL team get you down, the food more than makes up for it...plus he had a cameo in Ace Ventura...can’t be that bad of a guy.
We had planned on revisiting Jelly Rolls...but 16 ounces of cow in the belly tends to make a person pretty sleepy, so I went back to the room and closed out the remainder of the day.
Day 4
It’s funny, the things you learn about someone while sharing a room with them for nearly a week. For instance, I never knew my cousin was an avid fan of HGTV.
All night, the TV had been left on with a marathon of twin brothers selling and buying houses for families. I woke up on the cusp of several fevered dreams where I was dealing with high maintenance buyers and sellers...it was crazy.
Our fast passes for this day were all set to take place inside Hollywood Studios...but they were later in the day, so we woke up early and took the first bus which swung our way to Downtown Disney.
I enjoy Downtown Disney...tons of great memories. Ragland Road is a favorite of mine, along with House of Blues. I also went into the parking lot for some strange reason and noticed all the cool little sensors above each space, registering when one was occupied. I looked over at my cousin and said “Disney stomps on Universal yet again”.
I will be glad when all the construction is finished...those walls can create some pretty narrow walking spaces...but it’s not too annoying when you realize how awesome the finished product should be.
We had a light lunch at Earl of Sandwich...a place that pretty much saves my life every time I go to Vegas, soaking up all the liquid awesomeness from the previous evening. They seriously make some of the best sandwiches. I could eat at this place every day.
My Aunt and Uncle decided to continue shopping, forgoing the Tower of Tower fast pass. With an hour until it expired, my cousin and I decided we might out to start heading that way...but first, Starbucks.
I’m seriously going to return and spend a dangerous amount of cash inside that giant Starbucks store...Disney always knows how to attack a person’s bank account.
We hopped on the bus and anxiously watched the minutes tick away...got off at the Swan hotel with twenty minutes until the fast pass expired. I guess we’re, like, Olympic caliber walkers or whatever because we made it from the Swan (on foot) to the Tower of Terror entrance with five minutes to spare.
Standing in the fast pass line, there was this teen by himself. So, we started spinning some story about Joe Hamilton, the kid who flew off the ride a year ago, smashing into a giant rock which is now known as Joe Rock. I guess we’re jerks, I don’t know...seemed funny at the time.
He turned around and nervously replied that he’d ridden it before. I informed him that the survival rate decreases each time you ride it.
Poor kid wound up on the same elevator as we did...ride went off without a hitch. Afterward, everyone survived as the kid happily shuffled as far away from us as possible.
We quickly got in line at Aerosmith and only waited 25 minutes...surprising for a stand by line in early June. At this point my Aunt and Uncle returned and we did the Muppets...one of the few shows that will never get old.
We then cashed in our Toy Story Mania fast pass where I reined supreme scoring 218,000. The big fish, folks...stay away from those meaningless 100 pt fellows right in front of you.
Followed that up by wandering around the park, having a few drinks and just checking out the sights...I’m always surprised, every time I go to Hollywood Studios, how little there is to actually do there.
We rode Tower of Terror again since my Uncle missed it. Afterward, they got in line for Fantasmic while I walked onto Star Tours (nobody else in the group can, stomach-wise, handle motion rides). While not a ride I’d stand in line more than 15 minutes for, it’s good fun if you can walk right on, as I did.
I then arrived at Fantasmic just in time, sat with my group and enjoyed the show. It was closing time afterward, so we returned to our rooms and got some rest.
Day 5
Our final day which meant a day full of Magic Kingdom...the bus didn’t take too terribly long, I wound up standing, along with my cousin. There was a group of girls seated next to us (I’d say mid 20s) and we entertained them with a debate over crazy religions (not going into detail for fear of being offensive).
Next thing we knew, we were inside the Kingdom. Our first ride was the railroad...we hopped on and rode it to the new toon town or whatever it’s called. Got off there and made our way to Tomorrowland where we rode Buzz light year. My cousin, smarting over his defeat at Toy Story, tried looking up tips and cheats on his phone. This infuriated me for two reasons...
1) It’s not the Puritan thing to do
2) I had lost my cell phone earlier in the week...the wound still stung.
He apologized and admitted he only retrieved info for room 1. At the end of the ride, I beat him soundly and then admitted I knew where all the targets were throughout the ride. He was less than pleased with my after-the-fact admission.
We splintered the group in two once again...my cousin and I made our way to Main Street to do some shopping. His brother (my cousin, not sure why I felt it necessary to explain that) has two daughters...he’s the godfather to one, i’m the godfather to the other...so, we just had to get them a gift.
I found a cool princess pillow or something with Belle on it (her favorite)...it was at this point when I found the perfect gift for my little sister. Like me, she loves the Muppets and her favorite character is Beaker (her name is Rebecca, my family calls her Beeker)...anyway, I’m standing in line, waiting to check out when I spot the key chains nearby and, low and behold there’s a Beaker key chain. I was way more excited than I should have been but, seriously, I never see stuff for this guy.
Now, if only I could find Pepe the Prawn.
We had lunch at Casey’s corner, rode Pirates (after standing in line next to a father who seemed to show way too much attention to his daughter’s friend) and then hit up Big Thunder Mountain...a horrific group of kids were in front of us jumping around and being crazy. They even tried jumping into the train before it took off...occupied.
It was at this point when my cousin explained to me, in detail, why he disliked theme parks, ha. So, we exited and rode the Monorail to the Contemporary...the Contemporary and Polynesian are two ‘must dos’ for me...I love those resorts.
We enjoyed an adult beverage at the Wave before being called over to the Polynesian by my Aunt and Uncle who had planned to tour the Bungalows.
Upon arriving, I noticed they were Pineapple deep in a couple of Lapu Lapus...so we joined in drinking the amazing concoctions. After a few drinks and temporary lightheadedness, we grabbed lunch downstairs and then toured the bungalows.
These things are freakin amazing...need to point up and stay there once. While the price is, well, pricey...there are only 20 or so...therefore booking them is going to be insanely tough.
On the way back to the main resort, a few people touring with us dropped the name ‘Trader Sams’...I had no idea what they were talking about. They asked my Uncle and I if we wanted to have a drink over there...why not, right? My cousin had returned to the room for rest as did my aunt, to begin packing.
Place opens at 4pm...we walked in at 4:30 and there was already an hour wait. They allowed us a chance to look around and it was depressingly amazing. When I return in January, I’m camping out at an unnecessarily early time to ensure I cross this place off the ‘must do’ list.
Experiencing the type of depression only alcohol could cure we returned to the bar in front of O’hana and had another drink...a Lapu Lapu for my uncle and a Back Scratcher for yours truly.
We departed right after and returned to the Magic Kingdom, meeting up with an Aunt I never knew I had who was apparently starting her vacation, along with her daughter (some cousin I never knew existed) and granddaughter. We kept them company, showing them around which wasn’t too bad until the kid insisted we check out Tom Sawyer’s Island.
I’m sure it’s a pretty neat place as long as it isn’t 95 DEGREES outside. Ugh, what a horrifying experience.
We returned to the ‘main land’ and headed to toon area or whatever...I went inside the big tent and enjoyed the smell of candied popcorn while they went on a few of the rides. After that my Aunt and Cousin returned as the unfamiliar aunt and her family left the park.
We cashed in a fast pass at Big Thunder (second time riding it that day)...we then hit up Splash Mountain, cashing in our second fast pass...my Aunt actually decided to ride it with us, she loved it...huge fan of the Song of the South.
We then dined at Pecos Bill...I had the pulled pork sandwich which wasn’t bad at all.
Quickly, we found a good, fairly quiet spot for Wishes and enjoyed, IMO, the best night time spectacle of all the parks. At this point, my Aunt and Uncle called it a trip and went back to the room...we hopped over to Tomorrowland, cashed in the final fast pass for 10:45pm at Space Mountain and ended the trip on the most appropriate ride possible, The Peoplemover. I have such fond memories of riding this over and over again at night with my sisters and cousins when we were younger, catching the fireworks and what not.
We had an intense conversation, while weeding our way to the front, about why Disney quit offering the late night hours to resort guests...I want to say they were called E-Ride nights or something? We used to hit those up non-stop when we were younger...this extra early morning stuff...not my style, man.
Upon exiting the park, we caught the second Boardwalk area bus and stood for the longest bus ride in the history of Disney bus rides. We wound up circling Blizzard Beach for some reason...I guess the bus driver had a death wish, taking an inordinately long route with a bus full of tired, cranky people.
I joked that our bus driver WAS female which drew tons of masculine laughs and a few feminine chuckles.
Here’s an example of how long the bus ride took...when we left an entire crowd of people remained, waiting for a third bus...one which was not insight. By the time we were finally dropped off, the third bus was already unloading.
I coerced my tired legs onto the elevator and into the room where I performed the sloppiest packing job ever. I went to bed, enjoying some HGTV (which I’m apparently a fan of now).
Woke up and left early the next morning...stopped off at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi which stupidly cost more than my entire Disney trip *shakes fist angrily* before returning home to the friendly confines late Saturday night (after enduring 3...THREE stand still traffic jams on I-10).
So, yea...fun trip...different experiences...first time I’ve gone without any immediate family members, which was cool. While we didn’t knock a ton of rides out, we still squeezed quite a bit in and I actually wound up experiencing restaurants and locations I may not have otherwise.
Somewhere in there we dined at the House of Blues which had GREAT food. The buffalo wings were smoked, giving them an amazing flavor. My cousin had a New York Strip which was ALMOST as good as Shula’s and the atmosphere was fun.
Can’t wait for the next trip in January of 2016 where I will be returning to my ‘home’ resort, Old Key West.
As far as Boardwalk goes, I enjoyed it...the location is unbeatable...walking distance from Hollywood and Epcot as well as Yacht and Beach Club along with Swan and Dolphin. PLUS you have the amenities that the Boardwalk itself provides.
The rooms were kind of small...I mean, it was a studio, but I’m so spoiled by the largeness of Old Key West that I tend to nitpick a bit when it comes to how much space a WDW resort room provides.
For anyone who cares...the Universal Resort was cool...by far the best facet was the pool, which was much more adult themed than any Disney pool. Not like there were naked people swimming around or anything, but they played modern (curse edited) music and had more adults out there enjoying a beverage or two than kids. The hotel and rooms themselves were nothing more than your typical casino hotel.
Like, I walked through the lobby and rooms and said to myself “nice”...however, the moment I entered Boardwalk I said to myself “Oh, man, this is much nicer”...Disney just does it better.
Anyway, for those of you still with me, hope you enjoyed the report and don’t mind the typos and spelling errors...I typed it in one sitting while watching the TCU/TAMU baseball game...I would proofread, but I’m too tired and/or lazy at this point in the evening to do any heavier-than-light reading...and by light, I’m talking back of a cereal box light.
Anyway, I’m going to give my own version of a trip report a go...probably won’t be the greatest, but I highly doubt it will be the lamest.
If you’re the type of person who only reads books with pictures...move along, I lost my cell phone on Day 2 in the front seat of a taxi cab. Would have been super depressing if I had been vacationing in, say, Idaho (sorry potato people)...being in Disney helped ease the pain.
Also, I didn’t take notes (ink related anyway) while on the trip...so this is all coming from memory. Returned home on Saturday with a ton of work waiting on me so I’ll do my best to unearth some of the detailed info amongst the fair amount of haze lingering in the ole cranium.
Let’s roll
Premise: My cousin is a cancer survivor and we were celebrating 3 years of clean scans. His parents were taking him and offered me a spot to keep him company. I, of course, could not deny. We were staying in a studio at the Boardwalk (one for his parents, one for us...we’re not circus folk...no offense to clowns or anything) for four lovely nights. But first...
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (MY GOSH, THE HORROR)
Not sure if talking about that ‘other’ park is acceptable on here or not...but it’s my trip report and I shall type what I please.
It’s a 16 or so hour drive from Houston, TX...so we started bright and early on a Friday morning. Only notable experience during the drive was a pit stop in Ochowakee or something Florida (I should probably look up the correct spelling...doubt that’s really close aside from the ‘O’ at the beginning). Anyway...was shopping for a coffee re-fueling when I spotted a 12 pack of Yuengling...an amazing brand of beer we don’t get down here in Tejas.
I purchase said 12 pack (even though I’m against buying beer at gas stations due to ridiculous mark ups)...only to have it fall out of my grasp in the parking lot...smashing with a cruel shatter into the poorly paved surface. I guess that’s what I get for sending a pic of the purchase to my jealous buddy back home.
We stopped off in Lake City for a night...experienced a debacle of a meal at the local Applebees (seriously, don’t go there. I think even the Coors Light was served incorrectly), went to sleep and woke up, heading for Orlando.
Love the freakin Turnpike...if only they didn’t charge...it would be a perfect stretch of pavement.
We arrived at the Royal Pacific...a nice hotel with a really cool pool area. After checking in and squaring everything away, we walked to the City Walk because running just would not have done the name justice. At ate Margaritaville where I had an Incommunicado (an Orlando tradition ever since I turned 21). After dinner my Aunt and Uncle made their way back to the hotel for some much needed R&R...the cuz and I continued to explore the City Walk.
Wasn’t long before Fat Tuesday experienced a visit my debit card...I snared a 44 Magnum (awesome frozen concoction...a tradition whenever I see a Fat Tuesday). We drank our super masculine daiquiris at an acceptable pace before visiting the night club. Apparently Pitbull was in town performing over at Universal Studios...I watch a ton of college football, so I’ve seen/heard enough of Pitbull.
Danced until 2 am...hopped on the boat back to the hotel, met some hair dressers (apparently a hair convention was in town) and wound up falling asleep around 3am.
Pretty sweet night, right? Sure, until you factor in the 7am wake up for Islands of Adventure the following day. Present me is always screwing over Future me...such a selfish guy.
Walked over to Harry Potter land/world (not sure what the appropriate name is) and did the dueling dragons (I think they have a new name) first. This pretty much KO’d my cousin and uncle (who had his fair share of beverages the evening before). Like a champ, though, I pushed through...rode Jurassic Park, Dudley Do-Right and Popeye...the latter two get you freakin soaked. Swim trunks are a must.
I’m feeling like a beast at this point...enter Hulk. I’m standing in line next to some other single rider (guy in his late 30s)...we’re chatting back and forth, cool guy who loves an adrenaline rush.
Now, I’ve ridden this ride multiple times...but never with a hangover. Let me tell you...not my wisest decision. As soon as the ride ended, my head was pounding and my eyes were full of water. Conversation immediately following the ride with the guy in line went something like this...
Guy: MAN THAT WAS WICKED
Me: *sniffling, attempting to hide my eyes* yea man, that was great.
Upon being released from the coaster’s clutches, I’m pretty sure I sprinted as far away as possible. I met back up with my Uncle and Cousin and we did the new Raptor photo op which was really cool (HUGE Jurassic Park fan over here). We hopped over to the older park via the Harry Potter train which was very detailed and a neat experience. At the original park we sat through the Terminator show (my Uncle’s favorite...I slept throughout...not that it’s boring, I’m just not the kind of guy who can do any show not named ‘Muppets’ more than twice...plus I was tired)...we did Twister (tamer than I remember)...I bought a Duff beer because, well, I had to. Rode the Mummy and was about to be one of those people who ‘don’t learn from their mistakes’ by riding the Rip Ride Rockit...but, divine intervention manifested itself in the form of a light shower.
At that point, my uncle and cousin were ready to leave...so I talked them into sticking around for Transformers (favorite cartoon growing up, had never done the ride) and they did. Fun ride, but I’m pretty sure the actual ride (ie the movements and so forth) are identical to Spiderman. You’re simply replacing Spiderman with Optimus Prime.
We exit the park and unknowingly enter into the cab ride from hell. Guy took about 40 minutes to get us over to the Boardwalk. I fell asleep during the drive which allowed my phone to slip out of my pocket, in between the seats (I was in front).
He drops us off...I step out, groggily wobble my way toward the lobby before instinctively checking each pocket...wallet, check...phone, che...wait a minute! I turn around, rush back toward the drop off point only to see no sign of the guy.
You might be asking why we took a cab instead of using the car that drove us to Florida to begin with. Well, my Aunt doesn’t really dig Universal, so she spent the day checking into the room and preparing it for us (she’s really awesome like that). Rather than wait on her to pick us up, we got impatient and took a cab. Turns out, patience is a virtue.
Spent the rest of the day relaxing on the porch, watching the tip top of the Epcot firework show and trying to figure out what the hell was darting around in the sky. Looked like some kind of drone.
Day 2
Another early start to Day 2 which was met with a better attitude thanks in part to Pleasure Island being no more in the World of Disney.
Off we went to Animal Kingdom with an early Fast Pass for Everest. Fun, as always....first time I noticed all the hair bands situated on the side of the mountain when you’re stalled, staring at the broken tracks.
Almost bought that circular pillow/yeti thing for my little sister...but passed. Found a far cooler gift later.
With an hour until our next Fast pass, we hit up Dinosaur. I’m not too proud to admit this ride used to freak me out as recently as, well, last October. But I’ve apparently matured since then, so it was a breeze. Still love it...I’ve always been enamored with dinosaurs.
Used our second fast pass on Safari...saw two baby Elephants playing around with each other, which was Animal Planet kinds of cool. Tons of rhinos were out...as were the Ostrich eggs which I’m told are real but I swear they’re fake. I mean they are ALWAYS there...you’d think an Ostrich might have a little more dignity or couth to perform that kind of thing behind the bushes or something.
We passed on Kali because I was in shorts and had socks on. Plus I was wearing my really cool Bayou Rum hat and, well, you can’t get your cool hat all wet and stuff...it’s just bad for business.
For some reason our third fast pass was for Festival of the Lion King, and it was much later in the day. So we grabbed some food from the Yak and Yeti counter service station (not sure if it’s officially owned by Yak and Yeti but it’s RIGHT THERE, man...so that’s what I call it)...my aunt vanished for a moment before popping up with a Coca Cola Rum Slushi. She offered me a taste and I accepted because it was a hair past noon and, let me tell you, it was amazing...dangerously amazing. Seriously, unless you own stock in Pepsi, give this thing a try.
We hopped a bus over to Hollywood Studios where we had a Dinner Reservation at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. Sat at the full bar and enjoyed a few beers while waiting on our name to be called...sat down and enjoyed a nice meal. IMO the food is solid, not great...what you’re paying for is the atmosphere and service. It was top notch this go around. She confiscated my aunt’s cell phone (at least she had one to lose), did the whole ‘what color is the soap in the bathroom’ thing and gave us homework (my cousin chose math for some reason).
Food was fine...I had shrimp and macaroni and cheese (special, I think)...I forgot what everyone else had because I’m egocentric, I guess. We did get Onion Rings as a starter, they were good but, ya know, onion rings aren’t the most difficult thing in the world to fry up. All in all, a fun experience worth the money...I’d recommend it, unless you’re the family sitting next to us. A four person family from Arkansas was seated right next to us and the dad didn’t appear to enjoy his meal at all. I think he was expecting more food for his money or maybe a hamburger to be on the menu...regardless, we enjoyed it.
After that, we trekked on over to Tower of Tower and gawked at the 40 minute wait (we usually go in October, so 40 min waits are like alien spacecraft). We made our way to Aerosmith, it was an hour. So, we decided to do the Great Movie Ride. At this point, my Aunt breaks away to do some shopping, much to my Uncle’s chagrin. We take the five minute walk over to Great Movie Ride and get into a 35 minute line...yea, not the best planning.
I’ve done this ride way too many times...can’t wait for the update. My cousin and I kind of gave the gangster a hard time, speaking like an old timey gangster (Listen here, seeeeeee)...he kept in character pretty well.
Afterward, my cousin wanted to go back to the resort to rest up. I found out during this trip he’s not much of a theme park person. Nothing wrong with that, different strokes, different folks. Kept us from doing a whole bunch, but I didn’t mind. I had fun hanging out with him and the rest of his family...plus, I’m at Disney, I can walk around the hotel for hours and enjoy myself (a theory I don’t really want to put to use, more or less an exaggeration of how awesome I find the place).
He took his nap, I hit the pool area and enjoyed a Long Island Iced Tea...took advantage of the community area by playing some free pool with my Uncle along with a dangerous game of Air Hockey (puck kept flying off the table).
He awoke early in the evening, my Aunt returned and we ate at ESPN. Our waitress I think was miscast...that or she was an escaped ghost from the Haunted Mansion. Seriously, she just kind of lurched around, didn’t say much and was super slow. My cousin is a restaurant manager who is endlessly annoyed with bad service...it was all I could do to keep him from freaking out. Food was good, as usual...I eat here all the time, trying to catch a College Football Saturday or NFL Sunday...enjoyed a Purple Haze beer, wondering if Hendrix would have approved over the taste.
After the meal, my Aunt and Uncle (I need to come up with a code name for them...like Unt or Auncle...or maybe Carl.) went to bed, leaving a rejuvenated cousin along my somewhat fatigued side. We toured the Boardwalk, attempting to figure out how we were going to not waste one of our four evenings.
That’s when we spotted Jellyrolls.
This place is AWESOME. I didn’t really know what to expect...I just knew the night was young and I wanted to have some fun. The twelve dollar cover was pricey...but, in hindsight, was well worth it. We walked up to the bar, ordered a couple of drinks and sat down, front row.
The gist of this place is as follows: Two pianos on a stage. Two guys playing said pianos while singing the lyrics to requested songs. In order to get them to sing a song, you hop on stage and place a napkin with the song and artist written on it, along with tip money because, well, you don’t work for free, why should they?
Our first requested song was “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. Next up I wrote down “Alone Again” by Gilbert O’Sullivan and slapped it down, along with a $5 bill. Once they got to my napkin, one of the Pianists was confused, pronouncing it as “And Sullivan”...I yelled out “O’Sullivan” and they instantly knew who requested the tune.
Obviously, the guy who spouted the mispronunciation didn’t know how to play it. So, he asked if I had any others...being placed on the spot, I was sort of speechless. He then, jokingly, asked if I’d like my money back. Don’t joke with a man about his money...I walked up on stage and took it back. The place echoed down in boos at me.
I sat down, absorbing the boos waiting to see what would happen next. Both pianists stared at me like Oliver Twist in line for seconds. I shouted, “Oh alright” and hopped onto the stage, placing the money back on the piano to thunderous applause. The second guy reached into his jar, after I had reclaimed my seat, and handed me 6 ones. I wondered if this was some kind of one-upmanship type of contest...I looked into their overflowing jars and what I had in my wallet and made the fiscal decision that I would not win...not even close.
So, I wrote “Whatever you know” on a napkin and placed it on their piano with their six, along with five more...cause I’m a nice guy.
For some reason, after that, they’d look to me whenever a song was requested, asking if I was cool with it. In gladiator fashion, I’d give them a thumb up or thumb down.
In a really cool moment, the second group (there are two groups alternating) came out...one of them knew the song I had previously requested so he, along with the guy from the original group sang it for me. Pretty awesome, they really didn’t have to do that.
Afterward, as the place was closing up, the two pianists came over and shook my hand and chatted with me a bit, I told them how much fun it was and thanked them for not shoving me off the stage when I took the five back, ha.
Checked out the hot tub area for awhile afterward before closing up shop for the evening...great ending to a fun day.
Day 3
With an early fast pass to Soarin, our destination was set in stone. Took the boat over to Epcot, entered into the side near France and made our way. Having arrived earlier than anticipated, we had some time to spare, so we hopped on Figment (has a more technical name, I know)...pretty cheesy ride, but I’ve been riding it ever since I can remember, so had to do it one more time.
Afterward, we cashed in our fast pass over at Soarin...a must because that line is horrendous. It’s like worse than the American show over in US of A land (joking, kinda).
Ride was smooth and relaxing as always...no annoying jerks taking multiple pictures. I also didn’t notice the hole or stain or whatever in the screen than plagued me last trip. Next up was the Land...a ride which I enjoy more and more (a sign I’m getting older, I guess). Once finished, my Aunt, who is spending the majority of her retirement trying to garden, wanted to take the backstage tour or whatever, giving her a behind the scenes look at their gardening practices and so forth.
Being a bachelor who learned how to garden by shopping inside grocery stores, this interested me very little...same went for my Uncle and cousin. So we hit up the world showcase. Started off with a beer of England...tasty...then the grey goose slushy which I was told tasted great.
Fairly rapid start to the process, so I had to kind of chill a bit or risk falling into the lake and, inadvertently, having my Epcot adventure being written by a news journalist which would then have been plastered all over these forums hence stealing my trip report thunder.
After stalling for a bit, looking into shop and pretending to be interested in tea or kettles...we made our way to Germany where I bought a Grapefruit beer. Amazing beverage...if you drink beer, you have to try this thing...I’m probably going to sneak back there and stick my mouth underneath the tap one day. The subsequent arrest will be so worth it.
Went for a Norwegian beer next...had a nice chat with the girl working the kiosk. She told me a surprisingly interesting story about how her grandparents met. Long story short, her grandfather was captured by the Nazi’s and forced to be a spy. That’s how he met his grandmother. I really do dig how they staff those countries, extremely authentic...really separating the World Showcase from anything else a person can experience in Disney World, IMO.
Had lunch at the counter service Mexican place...I by far prefer this food to the restaurant inside the pavilion. Found out there’s actually inside seating this time...I guess I’m a terrible explorer. Took me eating there four times to realize you’re not limited to outside seating.
Made our way to Spaceship Earth...our pictures were fairly comical. My cousin was asleep for his while I was squinting...guess the flash got me...a nice, relaxing ride that I always squeeze a bit of enjoyment out of...especially when you walk right on, in June.
Judging by his impromptu cat nap, my cousin was ready for another nap, so we made our way back to the room...before exiting, I enjoyed a Moosehead from Canada (my father’s favorite so I had to purchase one for him, seeing as he had to stay home).
We spent the remainder of the day at or around the hotel, waiting for our dinner reservation at Shula’s steak house.
My Aunt and Uncle had dined at Shula’s once before and raved about the food, so, being that I’m a huge fan of cow, I was super stoked to give it a try. Crazy fact...as much as I’ve been to Disney, I’ve NEVER stepped foot inside the Swan or Dolphin hotels. I don’t know why...it’s not like I’m deathly afraid of either animal...swans are perfectly acceptable creatures that give every ugly duckling a semblance of hope...and Flipper always seemed like an a-okay mammal...so, I dunno...I guess they never really sparked my interest.
Both places are top notch...like super nice. I was mega impressed by the interior and the amenities. Shula’s was great, as well. I had the 16 oz New York Strip along with a couple of strange sounding beers. We had three servers, all of whom were superb. I’d recommend dining here if you’re looking for great food and a nice, quiet, dark, classy atmosphere. Don’t let the fact that Shula dominated your favorite NFL team get you down, the food more than makes up for it...plus he had a cameo in Ace Ventura...can’t be that bad of a guy.
We had planned on revisiting Jelly Rolls...but 16 ounces of cow in the belly tends to make a person pretty sleepy, so I went back to the room and closed out the remainder of the day.
Day 4
It’s funny, the things you learn about someone while sharing a room with them for nearly a week. For instance, I never knew my cousin was an avid fan of HGTV.
All night, the TV had been left on with a marathon of twin brothers selling and buying houses for families. I woke up on the cusp of several fevered dreams where I was dealing with high maintenance buyers and sellers...it was crazy.
Our fast passes for this day were all set to take place inside Hollywood Studios...but they were later in the day, so we woke up early and took the first bus which swung our way to Downtown Disney.
I enjoy Downtown Disney...tons of great memories. Ragland Road is a favorite of mine, along with House of Blues. I also went into the parking lot for some strange reason and noticed all the cool little sensors above each space, registering when one was occupied. I looked over at my cousin and said “Disney stomps on Universal yet again”.
I will be glad when all the construction is finished...those walls can create some pretty narrow walking spaces...but it’s not too annoying when you realize how awesome the finished product should be.
We had a light lunch at Earl of Sandwich...a place that pretty much saves my life every time I go to Vegas, soaking up all the liquid awesomeness from the previous evening. They seriously make some of the best sandwiches. I could eat at this place every day.
My Aunt and Uncle decided to continue shopping, forgoing the Tower of Tower fast pass. With an hour until it expired, my cousin and I decided we might out to start heading that way...but first, Starbucks.
I’m seriously going to return and spend a dangerous amount of cash inside that giant Starbucks store...Disney always knows how to attack a person’s bank account.
We hopped on the bus and anxiously watched the minutes tick away...got off at the Swan hotel with twenty minutes until the fast pass expired. I guess we’re, like, Olympic caliber walkers or whatever because we made it from the Swan (on foot) to the Tower of Terror entrance with five minutes to spare.
Standing in the fast pass line, there was this teen by himself. So, we started spinning some story about Joe Hamilton, the kid who flew off the ride a year ago, smashing into a giant rock which is now known as Joe Rock. I guess we’re jerks, I don’t know...seemed funny at the time.
He turned around and nervously replied that he’d ridden it before. I informed him that the survival rate decreases each time you ride it.
Poor kid wound up on the same elevator as we did...ride went off without a hitch. Afterward, everyone survived as the kid happily shuffled as far away from us as possible.
We quickly got in line at Aerosmith and only waited 25 minutes...surprising for a stand by line in early June. At this point my Aunt and Uncle returned and we did the Muppets...one of the few shows that will never get old.
We then cashed in our Toy Story Mania fast pass where I reined supreme scoring 218,000. The big fish, folks...stay away from those meaningless 100 pt fellows right in front of you.
Followed that up by wandering around the park, having a few drinks and just checking out the sights...I’m always surprised, every time I go to Hollywood Studios, how little there is to actually do there.
We rode Tower of Terror again since my Uncle missed it. Afterward, they got in line for Fantasmic while I walked onto Star Tours (nobody else in the group can, stomach-wise, handle motion rides). While not a ride I’d stand in line more than 15 minutes for, it’s good fun if you can walk right on, as I did.
I then arrived at Fantasmic just in time, sat with my group and enjoyed the show. It was closing time afterward, so we returned to our rooms and got some rest.
Day 5
Our final day which meant a day full of Magic Kingdom...the bus didn’t take too terribly long, I wound up standing, along with my cousin. There was a group of girls seated next to us (I’d say mid 20s) and we entertained them with a debate over crazy religions (not going into detail for fear of being offensive).
Next thing we knew, we were inside the Kingdom. Our first ride was the railroad...we hopped on and rode it to the new toon town or whatever it’s called. Got off there and made our way to Tomorrowland where we rode Buzz light year. My cousin, smarting over his defeat at Toy Story, tried looking up tips and cheats on his phone. This infuriated me for two reasons...
1) It’s not the Puritan thing to do
2) I had lost my cell phone earlier in the week...the wound still stung.
He apologized and admitted he only retrieved info for room 1. At the end of the ride, I beat him soundly and then admitted I knew where all the targets were throughout the ride. He was less than pleased with my after-the-fact admission.
We splintered the group in two once again...my cousin and I made our way to Main Street to do some shopping. His brother (my cousin, not sure why I felt it necessary to explain that) has two daughters...he’s the godfather to one, i’m the godfather to the other...so, we just had to get them a gift.
I found a cool princess pillow or something with Belle on it (her favorite)...it was at this point when I found the perfect gift for my little sister. Like me, she loves the Muppets and her favorite character is Beaker (her name is Rebecca, my family calls her Beeker)...anyway, I’m standing in line, waiting to check out when I spot the key chains nearby and, low and behold there’s a Beaker key chain. I was way more excited than I should have been but, seriously, I never see stuff for this guy.
Now, if only I could find Pepe the Prawn.
We had lunch at Casey’s corner, rode Pirates (after standing in line next to a father who seemed to show way too much attention to his daughter’s friend) and then hit up Big Thunder Mountain...a horrific group of kids were in front of us jumping around and being crazy. They even tried jumping into the train before it took off...occupied.
It was at this point when my cousin explained to me, in detail, why he disliked theme parks, ha. So, we exited and rode the Monorail to the Contemporary...the Contemporary and Polynesian are two ‘must dos’ for me...I love those resorts.
We enjoyed an adult beverage at the Wave before being called over to the Polynesian by my Aunt and Uncle who had planned to tour the Bungalows.
Upon arriving, I noticed they were Pineapple deep in a couple of Lapu Lapus...so we joined in drinking the amazing concoctions. After a few drinks and temporary lightheadedness, we grabbed lunch downstairs and then toured the bungalows.
These things are freakin amazing...need to point up and stay there once. While the price is, well, pricey...there are only 20 or so...therefore booking them is going to be insanely tough.
On the way back to the main resort, a few people touring with us dropped the name ‘Trader Sams’...I had no idea what they were talking about. They asked my Uncle and I if we wanted to have a drink over there...why not, right? My cousin had returned to the room for rest as did my aunt, to begin packing.
Place opens at 4pm...we walked in at 4:30 and there was already an hour wait. They allowed us a chance to look around and it was depressingly amazing. When I return in January, I’m camping out at an unnecessarily early time to ensure I cross this place off the ‘must do’ list.
Experiencing the type of depression only alcohol could cure we returned to the bar in front of O’hana and had another drink...a Lapu Lapu for my uncle and a Back Scratcher for yours truly.
We departed right after and returned to the Magic Kingdom, meeting up with an Aunt I never knew I had who was apparently starting her vacation, along with her daughter (some cousin I never knew existed) and granddaughter. We kept them company, showing them around which wasn’t too bad until the kid insisted we check out Tom Sawyer’s Island.
I’m sure it’s a pretty neat place as long as it isn’t 95 DEGREES outside. Ugh, what a horrifying experience.
We returned to the ‘main land’ and headed to toon area or whatever...I went inside the big tent and enjoyed the smell of candied popcorn while they went on a few of the rides. After that my Aunt and Cousin returned as the unfamiliar aunt and her family left the park.
We cashed in a fast pass at Big Thunder (second time riding it that day)...we then hit up Splash Mountain, cashing in our second fast pass...my Aunt actually decided to ride it with us, she loved it...huge fan of the Song of the South.
We then dined at Pecos Bill...I had the pulled pork sandwich which wasn’t bad at all.
Quickly, we found a good, fairly quiet spot for Wishes and enjoyed, IMO, the best night time spectacle of all the parks. At this point, my Aunt and Uncle called it a trip and went back to the room...we hopped over to Tomorrowland, cashed in the final fast pass for 10:45pm at Space Mountain and ended the trip on the most appropriate ride possible, The Peoplemover. I have such fond memories of riding this over and over again at night with my sisters and cousins when we were younger, catching the fireworks and what not.
We had an intense conversation, while weeding our way to the front, about why Disney quit offering the late night hours to resort guests...I want to say they were called E-Ride nights or something? We used to hit those up non-stop when we were younger...this extra early morning stuff...not my style, man.
Upon exiting the park, we caught the second Boardwalk area bus and stood for the longest bus ride in the history of Disney bus rides. We wound up circling Blizzard Beach for some reason...I guess the bus driver had a death wish, taking an inordinately long route with a bus full of tired, cranky people.
I joked that our bus driver WAS female which drew tons of masculine laughs and a few feminine chuckles.
Here’s an example of how long the bus ride took...when we left an entire crowd of people remained, waiting for a third bus...one which was not insight. By the time we were finally dropped off, the third bus was already unloading.
I coerced my tired legs onto the elevator and into the room where I performed the sloppiest packing job ever. I went to bed, enjoying some HGTV (which I’m apparently a fan of now).
Woke up and left early the next morning...stopped off at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi which stupidly cost more than my entire Disney trip *shakes fist angrily* before returning home to the friendly confines late Saturday night (after enduring 3...THREE stand still traffic jams on I-10).
So, yea...fun trip...different experiences...first time I’ve gone without any immediate family members, which was cool. While we didn’t knock a ton of rides out, we still squeezed quite a bit in and I actually wound up experiencing restaurants and locations I may not have otherwise.
Somewhere in there we dined at the House of Blues which had GREAT food. The buffalo wings were smoked, giving them an amazing flavor. My cousin had a New York Strip which was ALMOST as good as Shula’s and the atmosphere was fun.
Can’t wait for the next trip in January of 2016 where I will be returning to my ‘home’ resort, Old Key West.
As far as Boardwalk goes, I enjoyed it...the location is unbeatable...walking distance from Hollywood and Epcot as well as Yacht and Beach Club along with Swan and Dolphin. PLUS you have the amenities that the Boardwalk itself provides.
The rooms were kind of small...I mean, it was a studio, but I’m so spoiled by the largeness of Old Key West that I tend to nitpick a bit when it comes to how much space a WDW resort room provides.
For anyone who cares...the Universal Resort was cool...by far the best facet was the pool, which was much more adult themed than any Disney pool. Not like there were naked people swimming around or anything, but they played modern (curse edited) music and had more adults out there enjoying a beverage or two than kids. The hotel and rooms themselves were nothing more than your typical casino hotel.
Like, I walked through the lobby and rooms and said to myself “nice”...however, the moment I entered Boardwalk I said to myself “Oh, man, this is much nicer”...Disney just does it better.
Anyway, for those of you still with me, hope you enjoyed the report and don’t mind the typos and spelling errors...I typed it in one sitting while watching the TCU/TAMU baseball game...I would proofread, but I’m too tired and/or lazy at this point in the evening to do any heavier-than-light reading...and by light, I’m talking back of a cereal box light.
Hopefully all your pics, calander , passwords, were already in a cloud! 
