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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:49 am
by GORDON
Raining today. Apparently this is the remnant of a Pacific hurricane that went through the southwest. Off to Universal Islands of Adventure.

Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:59 pm
by GORDON
Universal: Islands of Adventure:

This is where the Hogwarts castle and Hogsmead... is.

The Hogwarts ride is pretty neat. First time through was a lot of fun, wife and I got off very slightly queasy. Lines were short so we immediately got back on.... wife and I got off the second time ready to hurl. You want a long line.... the queue inside the castle takes you past a lot of animatronics and holograms that play out a story, and you will want to stay to see everything. But we had no line and had to zip past it all. We went again in the afternoon and went through slower to get the "picture." That joke will make sense to Thib next week.

The "Three Broomsticks" pub actually had good food. Everything looked fresh and plentiful. I had a "Hog Head Brew" that was a decent scottish ale they claimed is brewed just for them, and the kid had another Butterbeer. I may look up the recipe for that beer when I get home if I am in the mood for one.

Spiderman Ride: fun and Stan Lee was in it. Meeting Spiderman: he had a cuban or mexican accent. That was weird.

Dr. Suess Cat in the Hat ride: drop acid before riding. Trust me. The kids too.

The Restaurant in the big Jurassic Park building: burgers were not great. Go in to look at the neat stuff and put your head in the things that control the dinosaur heads, but avoid eating there. Expenses were spared.

Wife and kid enjoyed the Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls ride, but I wasn't in the mood to get douched so I skipped it. They got douched. Twice. Kid and I were referring to the ride all day after as the Douchetron 5000.

Doctor Doom ride is neat, but is quick.

The mini coaster at Hogwarts... the Hippogriff one.... is a little faster than it looks, but lasts about 30 seconds so the 30 minute wait we had felt kind of anticlimactic.

I farted on everything I could, enjoy.

Tomorrow we are moving onto Disney property, checking in and spending the afternoon at Epcot. More later.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:19 am
by GORDON
I was trying to remember this lat night but couldn't:

We were sitting in the Three Broomsticks restaurant having some beers and shooting the shit. I was telling my kid how he is part Scottish. He says, "Wow, now I feel like complaining about things."

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:23 am
by Troy
Solid write-ups.

No kids any time soon, so no amusement parks either. I'll live vicariously through your posts.




Edited By Troy on 1411313056

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:44 am
by GORDON
Just checked into Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World. I can actually see giraffe from the balcony.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:17 pm
by GORDON
Hey there is free wifi here, now? Neat.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:06 pm
by GORDON
Epcot today. Nothing really to report.... except maybe a lot fewer foreigners. This is wine and food festival season at epcot.... and they added craft beer tasting, too. It is crowded but glorious. Sooooo many food and beer stalls.

Also, the best food I have ever had on Disney property is the Mexico thing in epcot. The restaurant in the step pyramid. We are 2 for 2, there. Amazingly good food.

Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 5:15 pm
by GORDON
Been raining here for a good chunk of the day. Wonder how to Thib is enjoying Universal.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:41 am
by GORDON
It rained like a bastard with a bitch for a mother last night at 5 when the park closed and the halloween party began. I have never seen such a long-lasting torrent of rain while at Disney. Lasted hours and it was a hard downpour.

To their credit, Disney didn't shut down anything. Cedar Point starts closing rides at the first sprinkles, literally. Granted, everything there is outside, but Disney has outside stuff too and it was all operating in the downpour... and people were out in it and loving it. Place was packed full of people in ponchos.

And then the rain died 15 minutes before the parade was to start. Nice.

My feet were wet for a good 8 hours.... I was afraid the skin from the bottom of my feet was going to slough off when I took off my shoes last night.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:43 am
by GORDON
We were trying to head out early to avoid the bus rush and ended up BeHIND the castle when the fireworks show started.

That is THE place to be. In front of the castle you get the fireworks show with the castle framed. Behind, shit is exploding everywhere around you. A couple times we had simultaneous 360 degree explosions happening, and at the finale it was full noon-brightness for about 7 seconds. That was neat. Disney knows how to put on a fucking show.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:12 pm
by Paul
GORDON wrote:Doctor Doom ride is neat, but is quick.
That's what his wife said.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:43 pm
by GORDON
I may be getting too old to be on my feet 12 hours a day. Day 1 my feet were killing me at 6pm. Day 2, 3pm. Day 3 at noon, and day 4 I woke up still sore from day 3 and ever since have just been stacking on the pain.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:24 pm
by GORDON
Hey Leisher, remember that drive-in restaurant at Hollywood Studios? They changed the menu to not suck any more. I had a big bottle of Flat Tire and a New York Strip.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:33 pm
by GORDON
At the Halloween party in the magic Kingdom, we actually had people asking if they could get pics with my kid, who appeared to be the only Star Lord in the entire park. He loved it.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:39 pm
by Malcolm
Bah. Drax > Quill.

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 10:23 pm
by GORDON
There was a Gamora... goddam. She was so hot I was momentarily stunned and didn't think to get them together in a pic and then the crowd moved us apart.

But it was awesome when a Bob and Linda stopped us for a pic.

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:36 am
by GORDON
Going to attempt to hit all 4 parks today... which I call "batting the cycle." I just made up that phrase.

Haven't even left the room yet and the wife and kid are already complaining.

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:24 am
by Malcolm
Haven't even left the room yet and the wife and kid are already complaining.

Why'd you bring them again?

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:34 am
by GORDON
It has been unseasonably rainy this week, and according to the park dude I talked to yesterday, attendance has been low through the month of September... until this week when the parks have been packed. So. Bad luck.

50 minutes to wait for Pirates of the Caribbean is a packed park. we've never had a wait for that, ever.

Wonder how Thib's doing.




Edited By GORDON on 1411734934

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:44 am
by TheCatt
I saw a picture of his on the Mad Tea Cup ride, so I'm just assuming he's doing that over and over and over.