Sorry abou the delay in posting. Our computers at work were down. Not that any one is really missing this. So anywho...
Second Day: July 24th. We started off the day at Universal Studios, where thanks to the Front of the Line Access (FOLA) privileges to resort guests, we saw most of the park by 1:00 p.m. Essentially it means you don’t have to get an express pass for any ride. Just show your room key card and in you go through the Express Pass line. The park was incredibly crowded and if not for the FOLA, we would have had an awful time. Disney really has the use of the Fast Passes so well planned and far more democratic. I’ve been on countless Fast Pass rides, where Disney will hold the Fast Pass lane and let regular theme park goers proceed to keep the line going and the standy line at a minimum. At Universal, however, they either let every single fast pass holder proceed b4 the public or they have their own separate loading area and vehicle. So for example, at MIB, there are two lanes for boarding vehicles, one on the right and the other on the left. The right lane is only for Express and resort guests. On that ride we basically rode right on without stopping. Meanwhile, the wait on the standby line was over an hour. There is no sense to this system and makes a day guest’s visit so much more unpleasant. Having been a regular guest this past December I remember the frustration. I recall waiting on Shrek for over an hour, watching the Universal employee let every singe express holder in to the pre-show, until that line was completely empty, as I waited for at least 3 more showings of the film.
As for my overall stay at the park, as I said above I had been to Universal this past December with some family members and I didn’t get to enjoy the park; so I thought because I had been sick. But I wasn’t sick this time and my criticisms of this park still hold true. I had a good time, I don’t want to say I didn’t and I will definitely return, although not in the near future and only if I’m staying at Universal. Biggest problem with Universal, as my eldest brother said on our trip this past December, is the lack of warmth, not just from the park but from their employees. You don’t feel that anyone wants to really help you out and ensure you have a good time. The park itself is a little cold, with little attention to detail though out most of the park, with the exception of their Hollywood boulevard. In addition, every thing in this park is themed around a disaster in one form or another. An earthquake, a twister, a shark attack, an alien attack, a dying alien planet, and even Armageddon. It is just overkill.
On the plus side, on this return trip I did enjoy Shrek 4-D a lot more than on first viewing. On my first viewing of Shrek last December it just didn’t live up to the hype. However, on this visit I really loved it. The film quality was sharp with great 3-D effects and a great story and the 4-D effects were so coordinated. I will now say this ranks up there right now as the best 3-D film in any park. I would have previously said ITTBB was, but it is so short in comparison. Terminator continues to be a great 3-D film too, although more so due to the story and the interaction between humans and film, than the actual quality of the film and effects which are now dated. There is truly nothing else in this park, I enjoy that much.
Upon our entry into the back we started in the rear and rode E. T. (Which is showing its age) and Back to the Future, which needs a serious revamp. The film is seriously blurry and not in sync with the ride vehicle. From there we went to MIB, which I did enjoy but not sure whether I like Buzz better or not. Although the ride itself is on a much grander scale and has a great queue (one of the best in any theme park) it is essentially the same thing as Buzz, except you have no control over your vehicle, that is Buzz’s biggest advantage. One consistent problem with Universal, is lousy and unclear storytelling. With MIB, having ridden this ride twice, I am still confused as to whether it is a training mission gone awry or not. Based on the end it appears the whole thing is a training ride. I’ve also heard the last room changes ride to ride, but it seems identical to me both on this trip and my last.
From there we rode right onto Mummy with no wait. Besides Shrek, the most fun I had at the park was the Mummy. No doubt a great ride, but it also fails to live up to the hype, esp. the hype I’ve read on this site by certain posters on this site. The ride is an original concept. The joining of dark ride elements with a roller coaster is incredibly neat and the ride is thoroughly entertaining. That said, it was no big deal. The mummy was so incredibly rubbery and cheap looking. The minions who pop out were so cheap with no movement. All this talk about the scarabs and how real they appear is nonsense. It is basically a film projection. I also heard posters talk about the ride traveling backwards and the roof on fire. I’m still puzzled by the glorious reviews. Traveling backwards?? The fall backwards on the Maelstrom is more severe. Fire?? The ceiling on fire was the size of my BBQ grill. As for the images you see during the roller coaster sequence, they really were not that different than the meteors during space mountain, although definitely a notch above the effects on RnR. I don’t want to put this ride down too much, b.c. it is my favorite ride at US without a doubt and in my top 20, possibly ten of the rides in Orlando. But I’m just incredibly puzzled by the glorious reviews on this site and others. There was absolutely nothing that cutting edge about the attraction other than the ride vehicle, which is similar to rocket rods technology and test track even. Also US bills at as a psychological thrill ride??? Not sure what the @#$^^& that means. Again as in MIB the storyline was muddled. Is this a movie set or not?? It is never made clear and Brendan Fraser’s appearance at the end makes it even more confusing. Luckily for me both times I rode this ride were ride-ons thanks to FOTL. I can’t tell you how great that was given that the wait times often exceeded 100 minutes at this ride. But again the poor day guests. Express holders and resort guests get their own vehicle/loading area, as they do on MIB (i.e. there are two vehicles loading simultaneously - one solely reserved for express and FOTL). Again, this method needs to change or US will be driving tons of people away with the crazy wait times.
We left US at around 1 p.m. after watching Shrek and headed to Portofino Hotel for a dip in their pool and to look around. We decided to walk there, which was a huge mistake. It was so hot and we didn’t realize, how far away it was. (One of the great things about Universal is that you are allowed to pool hop) As we approached the property on the walkway we were blown away. It was gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking. Until we were up close. Everything on the buildings is painted on. Bricks, shutters, ledges, bricks, etc. it’s all painted on. There is a minimal effort at realism. The effects do trick the eye from a distance, but up close it is such a disappointment. Best example for a comparison to Disney are the buildings in World Showcase. For example, at the replica of Doge’s Palace at the Italy pavillion at Epcot, the columns and arches aren’t marble, but they make every effort to make it appear real, by using construction materials that can duplicate the feel of marble. In addition, the arches on the palace aren’t painted on to a wall, to make them look like arches. THEY HAVE ACTUAL ARCHES. Again another example of the lack of attention to detail at Universal. I don’t understand why Universal cut corners here. That being said it looks gorgeous, but as long as you don’t look too closely. Well that being said, we loved the Portofino and I would definitely consider staying here. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and the main pool is incredible. There are two pools here and our favorite was the large pool with a slide and a sandy beach entrance, where we spent the day. The other is a quiet pool, that looked incredibly classy, with cabanas. But most incredible is the harbor entrance to the Portofino with a huge piazza. Despite the painted on details, we really enjoyed our stay here and I couldn’t help but feel that Disney got outdone here.
At about 6:00 p.m., we returned to US and got in a few repeat rides on Mummy, Jimmy Neutron, Twister (no big deal), and Terminator. We left about two hours later and made it over to City Walk. We decided to give Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville a try. The line here was incredibly long and there was a huge wait. So we made it over to the bar, which was incredibly crowded, and waited a good ten minutes until two seats were made available. Dinner here was OK. I had the Jerk Chicken and my friend had the Fish Special. Appetizers were a bit better than the entree, in particular the crap/shrimp dip. Although dinner wasn’t that great, the restaurant itself is a lot fun. The restaurant has a nautical Key West kind of theme. And there is a huge boat sail in the middle of the room, on which videos and concert footage of Jimmy Buffet is played. Meanwhile, every so often you hears folks in the restaurant singing along to whatever Buffet tune is playing. In addition, every hour or so the lights dim briefly and thunder is heard as though a Hurricane or storm is approaching. Although I don’t think I would go back for dinner, I would definitely spend some time at the bar, having a drink and listening to some Buffet tunes. The place has this mellow quality to it that only a Buffet song can engender. From there we headed back to our room for some much need sleep as our next day visit to Mission Space was waiting.
Day 3 to follow here.
Second Day: July 24th. We started off the day at Universal Studios, where thanks to the Front of the Line Access (FOLA) privileges to resort guests, we saw most of the park by 1:00 p.m. Essentially it means you don’t have to get an express pass for any ride. Just show your room key card and in you go through the Express Pass line. The park was incredibly crowded and if not for the FOLA, we would have had an awful time. Disney really has the use of the Fast Passes so well planned and far more democratic. I’ve been on countless Fast Pass rides, where Disney will hold the Fast Pass lane and let regular theme park goers proceed to keep the line going and the standy line at a minimum. At Universal, however, they either let every single fast pass holder proceed b4 the public or they have their own separate loading area and vehicle. So for example, at MIB, there are two lanes for boarding vehicles, one on the right and the other on the left. The right lane is only for Express and resort guests. On that ride we basically rode right on without stopping. Meanwhile, the wait on the standby line was over an hour. There is no sense to this system and makes a day guest’s visit so much more unpleasant. Having been a regular guest this past December I remember the frustration. I recall waiting on Shrek for over an hour, watching the Universal employee let every singe express holder in to the pre-show, until that line was completely empty, as I waited for at least 3 more showings of the film.
As for my overall stay at the park, as I said above I had been to Universal this past December with some family members and I didn’t get to enjoy the park; so I thought because I had been sick. But I wasn’t sick this time and my criticisms of this park still hold true. I had a good time, I don’t want to say I didn’t and I will definitely return, although not in the near future and only if I’m staying at Universal. Biggest problem with Universal, as my eldest brother said on our trip this past December, is the lack of warmth, not just from the park but from their employees. You don’t feel that anyone wants to really help you out and ensure you have a good time. The park itself is a little cold, with little attention to detail though out most of the park, with the exception of their Hollywood boulevard. In addition, every thing in this park is themed around a disaster in one form or another. An earthquake, a twister, a shark attack, an alien attack, a dying alien planet, and even Armageddon. It is just overkill.
On the plus side, on this return trip I did enjoy Shrek 4-D a lot more than on first viewing. On my first viewing of Shrek last December it just didn’t live up to the hype. However, on this visit I really loved it. The film quality was sharp with great 3-D effects and a great story and the 4-D effects were so coordinated. I will now say this ranks up there right now as the best 3-D film in any park. I would have previously said ITTBB was, but it is so short in comparison. Terminator continues to be a great 3-D film too, although more so due to the story and the interaction between humans and film, than the actual quality of the film and effects which are now dated. There is truly nothing else in this park, I enjoy that much.
Upon our entry into the back we started in the rear and rode E. T. (Which is showing its age) and Back to the Future, which needs a serious revamp. The film is seriously blurry and not in sync with the ride vehicle. From there we went to MIB, which I did enjoy but not sure whether I like Buzz better or not. Although the ride itself is on a much grander scale and has a great queue (one of the best in any theme park) it is essentially the same thing as Buzz, except you have no control over your vehicle, that is Buzz’s biggest advantage. One consistent problem with Universal, is lousy and unclear storytelling. With MIB, having ridden this ride twice, I am still confused as to whether it is a training mission gone awry or not. Based on the end it appears the whole thing is a training ride. I’ve also heard the last room changes ride to ride, but it seems identical to me both on this trip and my last.
From there we rode right onto Mummy with no wait. Besides Shrek, the most fun I had at the park was the Mummy. No doubt a great ride, but it also fails to live up to the hype, esp. the hype I’ve read on this site by certain posters on this site. The ride is an original concept. The joining of dark ride elements with a roller coaster is incredibly neat and the ride is thoroughly entertaining. That said, it was no big deal. The mummy was so incredibly rubbery and cheap looking. The minions who pop out were so cheap with no movement. All this talk about the scarabs and how real they appear is nonsense. It is basically a film projection. I also heard posters talk about the ride traveling backwards and the roof on fire. I’m still puzzled by the glorious reviews. Traveling backwards?? The fall backwards on the Maelstrom is more severe. Fire?? The ceiling on fire was the size of my BBQ grill. As for the images you see during the roller coaster sequence, they really were not that different than the meteors during space mountain, although definitely a notch above the effects on RnR. I don’t want to put this ride down too much, b.c. it is my favorite ride at US without a doubt and in my top 20, possibly ten of the rides in Orlando. But I’m just incredibly puzzled by the glorious reviews on this site and others. There was absolutely nothing that cutting edge about the attraction other than the ride vehicle, which is similar to rocket rods technology and test track even. Also US bills at as a psychological thrill ride??? Not sure what the @#$^^& that means. Again as in MIB the storyline was muddled. Is this a movie set or not?? It is never made clear and Brendan Fraser’s appearance at the end makes it even more confusing. Luckily for me both times I rode this ride were ride-ons thanks to FOTL. I can’t tell you how great that was given that the wait times often exceeded 100 minutes at this ride. But again the poor day guests. Express holders and resort guests get their own vehicle/loading area, as they do on MIB (i.e. there are two vehicles loading simultaneously - one solely reserved for express and FOTL). Again, this method needs to change or US will be driving tons of people away with the crazy wait times.
We left US at around 1 p.m. after watching Shrek and headed to Portofino Hotel for a dip in their pool and to look around. We decided to walk there, which was a huge mistake. It was so hot and we didn’t realize, how far away it was. (One of the great things about Universal is that you are allowed to pool hop) As we approached the property on the walkway we were blown away. It was gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking. Until we were up close. Everything on the buildings is painted on. Bricks, shutters, ledges, bricks, etc. it’s all painted on. There is a minimal effort at realism. The effects do trick the eye from a distance, but up close it is such a disappointment. Best example for a comparison to Disney are the buildings in World Showcase. For example, at the replica of Doge’s Palace at the Italy pavillion at Epcot, the columns and arches aren’t marble, but they make every effort to make it appear real, by using construction materials that can duplicate the feel of marble. In addition, the arches on the palace aren’t painted on to a wall, to make them look like arches. THEY HAVE ACTUAL ARCHES. Again another example of the lack of attention to detail at Universal. I don’t understand why Universal cut corners here. That being said it looks gorgeous, but as long as you don’t look too closely. Well that being said, we loved the Portofino and I would definitely consider staying here. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and the main pool is incredible. There are two pools here and our favorite was the large pool with a slide and a sandy beach entrance, where we spent the day. The other is a quiet pool, that looked incredibly classy, with cabanas. But most incredible is the harbor entrance to the Portofino with a huge piazza. Despite the painted on details, we really enjoyed our stay here and I couldn’t help but feel that Disney got outdone here.
At about 6:00 p.m., we returned to US and got in a few repeat rides on Mummy, Jimmy Neutron, Twister (no big deal), and Terminator. We left about two hours later and made it over to City Walk. We decided to give Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville a try. The line here was incredibly long and there was a huge wait. So we made it over to the bar, which was incredibly crowded, and waited a good ten minutes until two seats were made available. Dinner here was OK. I had the Jerk Chicken and my friend had the Fish Special. Appetizers were a bit better than the entree, in particular the crap/shrimp dip. Although dinner wasn’t that great, the restaurant itself is a lot fun. The restaurant has a nautical Key West kind of theme. And there is a huge boat sail in the middle of the room, on which videos and concert footage of Jimmy Buffet is played. Meanwhile, every so often you hears folks in the restaurant singing along to whatever Buffet tune is playing. In addition, every hour or so the lights dim briefly and thunder is heard as though a Hurricane or storm is approaching. Although I don’t think I would go back for dinner, I would definitely spend some time at the bar, having a drink and listening to some Buffet tunes. The place has this mellow quality to it that only a Buffet song can engender. From there we headed back to our room for some much need sleep as our next day visit to Mission Space was waiting.
Day 3 to follow here.