I'm Not Really Harry Potter, But I AM the Rebel Spy! Oct 2016 TR *COMPLETE + New TR Link 8/6

Day 7 Continued: Friday October 14th


While DH took the kids to the baby swap room, I went on the ride! It’s an incredible ride, but man, it makes me sooooo sick. I just can’t make myself skip it, though. DH went when I was done while I waited with the kids and took them to change DD’s diaper while we were waiting. Once DH finished on Forbidden Journey, we took turns with DS on Flight of the Hippogriff.

After some fun in Hogsmeade, we ventured over to Jurassic Park next.


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I waited with DD and gave her some snacks while DH and DS went on Pteranodon Flyers.


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View of Skull Island from the ride


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When they were done, we went over to Skull Island to ride Kong for the first time! I was so excited to finally get to try this ride out, but I was also deathly afraid of the queue because I’d heard there were scare actors in it. So I gave DH the opportunity to go first so he could scope out the Express queue for me and let me know if there were any scare actors in it. Lol


After he came out and told me the Express queue was okay, DS said he would go with me. He had been really back and forth on if he was going to try it, but once DH came out and said he thought he would like it, DS had agreed to go. We got about halfway through the line when he changed his mind! I was able to get him back to DS through the emergency exit when a TM told me it was okay to go out that way. She even asked him if he was scared to ride or just scared of the queue and volunteered to take us in by the exit and avoid the queue if that was what he was scared of, but he said he didn’t want to go on the ride anymore. After depositing him with DH, I continued on to the ride by myself.

I was lucky to get the first in my row, so I was all the way to the right and closest to the Kong animatronic at the end, which was incredible! It was huge and so lifelike. They did a really great job on it. The whole attraction was really exciting and interesting. I liked that it was not a traditional motion simulator like they have become known for putting in their parks lately. The only bad thing about the experience was the lady who came in to the row next to me. She was soaking wet from one of the water rides, and had no concept of personal space. She crammed all the way against me until I was barely hanging onto my seat because the bench didn’t go all the way up to the side of the jeep, there was a little gap and I was almost in it! By the time I came off the ride, my shorts on the side that was up against her were soaked!


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Loved it!


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DD had fallen asleep in the stroller while we were switching off on Kong, so at least we didn’t have to continue keeping her occupied. I feel a little guilty about it, but this is why we are leaving her with the grandparents for our Universal-only trip in September. She can hardly ride or do anything there, so it makes it difficult to keep her entertained all day while we spend time switching off on rides!

After that, we were ready for some Superhero fun!

UP NEXT: Visiting the Daily Bugle
 
Holy Cow - checked out of Bonnet Creek room at 7:15 and at the gates at 8:15. You made great time! Not sure I've ever seen pictures of Hogsmeade looking so empty. Looks like your day is off to a good start!
 
sounds like an efficient morning and I guess they are used to people executing that plan of getting the express pass early - but still, you did great! And glad things worked out as far as cost wise for the hotel!

That is one things I am hesitant about stopping by Universal - if there is enough for the younger two to do even if Olivia would now love the Harry Potter stuff (no way i would get her near the Kong ride though!)
 
I know I'm joining your trip report a little late but it's awesome! We are going to universal for the first time this summer and staying at protozoon bay too so your detailed pictures and recap of this part of the trip is super appreciated.
 


Holy Cow - checked out of Bonnet Creek room at 7:15 and at the gates at 8:15. You made great time! Not sure I've ever seen pictures of Hogsmeade looking so empty. Looks like your day is off to a good start!

I know! Believe it or not, we were actually contemplating leaving early enough to make it for early entry! :rotfl2: We had to manage expectations a bit, but I was pretty happy with what kind of time we made.

It's so tempting to go to early entry over at Studios, but it was nice to get some quiet time in Hogsmeade this morning and save Diagon Alley for the next day.

sounds like an efficient morning and I guess they are used to people executing that plan of getting the express pass early - but still, you did great! And glad things worked out as far as cost wise for the hotel!

That is one things I am hesitant about stopping by Universal - if there is enough for the younger two to do even if Olivia would now love the Harry Potter stuff (no way i would get her near the Kong ride though!)

Yes, we have never had trouble getting our express passes early on arrival day! Gotta take advantage of the perks as much as possible, am I right? It was really cool to luck into a deal at Portofino, because I never would have thought we would ever get to stay at the flagship resort!

I totally understand, which like I said is the reason we made the decision to leave DD at home. There just isn't enough for her to do at this age. More than likely we won't be back at Universal for awhile anyway with the Viking cruise next year and the Disney cruise the following year anyway, so by the time we go back, she should be a little older and taller, and maybe DS will have made the next height transition to be able to ride stuff like the Hulk and Rip Ride Rockit.

I know I'm joining your trip report a little late but it's awesome! We are going to universal for the first time this summer and staying at protozoon bay too so your detailed pictures and recap of this part of the trip is super appreciated.

No worries, glad to have you!

I hope you enjoy your first Universal trip! While it is not Disney, it does have some things I like even better than Disney World, like Express Pass being better than FP+ and the walking distance to the parks from the three deluxe resorts. We are so excited to visit there in just a couple more months!
 
Another really great trip report. I’ve been following along with y’all since 2013, and I’m fickle so that’s saying something. Anyhoo – I’ve recently started following on IG (clarablatnez), and I have to tell you it took me a minute to figure out who that little girl was. I’m so used to seeing her snuggled up next to you in her carrier – it didn’t dawn on me that DD grew up between trip reports. :)
 
I know I'm joining your trip report a little late but it's awesome! We are going to universal for the first time this summer and staying at protozoon bay too so your detailed pictures and recap of this part of the trip is super appreciated.

Omg. Thanks for your reply, btw. In reading it I noticed that my "Portofino Bay" got autocorrected to protozoan bay. :rotfl:
 


Portofino looks beautiful!! I have a friend who worked there in an internship program for a year and she loved it.

I also love the Forbidden Journey queue! As a big HP fan, it's amazing because it feels so much like being there. The details are amazing. The ride itself is pretty crazy for motion sickness though. I actually blame this ride for triggering my brain condition symptoms (because it can often lie nearly dormant until something like a trauma, roller coaster, etc., triggers symptoms.) But it's such a fabulous ride, I understand why you don't skip it!

How frustrating and yucky that the woman beside you on Kong got you all wet! I'm a big fan of personal space, which is typically my biggest challenge at a theme park.
 
Portofino looks awesome! I don't know much about any of the Universal resorts, but I probably know the least about that one. It looks incredible though.

Not a bad morning in IoA. I'm glad to hear Kong was so well done (and without the ever present screens)
 
Love the resort pics, looks so pretty!

Sounds like a great start to the day! I'm sorry DS wouldn't go on Kong, but glad you enjoyed it! It really is a cool and unique ride..and thank goodness you avoided the scare actors!
 
Another really great trip report. I’ve been following along with y’all since 2013, and I’m fickle so that’s saying something. Anyhoo – I’ve recently started following on IG (clarablatnez), and I have to tell you it took me a minute to figure out who that little girl was. I’m so used to seeing her snuggled up next to you in her carrier – it didn’t dawn on me that DD grew up between trip reports. :)

Thanks so much for following along with our trips for so long!!

Haha that's too funny. She has really grown by leaps and bounds!

Omg. Thanks for your reply, btw. In reading it I noticed that my "Portofino Bay" got autocorrected to protozoan bay. :rotfl:

Gotta love that autocorrect. :rotfl2:

Portofino looks beautiful!! I have a friend who worked there in an internship program for a year and she loved it.

I also love the Forbidden Journey queue! As a big HP fan, it's amazing because it feels so much like being there. The details are amazing. The ride itself is pretty crazy for motion sickness though. I actually blame this ride for triggering my brain condition symptoms (because it can often lie nearly dormant until something like a trauma, roller coaster, etc., triggers symptoms.) But it's such a fabulous ride, I understand why you don't skip it!

How frustrating and yucky that the woman beside you on Kong got you all wet! I'm a big fan of personal space, which is typically my biggest challenge at a theme park.

It is an absolutely gorgeous hotel. I was SO excited that we were able to stay there in a deluxe room for only a little more than what we would pay for the lowest tier deluxe hotel! Never ever thought we'd ever be able to stay there, so it was an awesome experience all around.

It's so worth the slight tummy upset. I absolutely can't miss it! I'm a little worried about DS if he's tall enough to ride it this time and decides to do it. He's never had motion sickness issues so far, but FJ is definitely the far end of the spectrum for me, so hopefully it doesn't decide to present itself on this trip.

Yes! Personal space is vital! I even shot her a dirty look but she just moved in closer.

Finally all caught up! I'm with you -- the Forbidden Journey queue is amazing!

It's the best queue I've ever seen. Absolutely a must for any HP fan!

Portofino looks awesome! I don't know much about any of the Universal resorts, but I probably know the least about that one. It looks incredible though.

Not a bad morning in IoA. I'm glad to hear Kong was so well done (and without the ever present screens)

It's beautiful! I didn't really know a lot about it before our trip either because I never expected to be able to stay there. Can't beat those AP discounts!

We definitely had a very productive morning. Even though Kong is a lot of screens, it seems to be done differently than rides like Spider-Man and Transformers, so it feels like a totally different experience. I couldn't believe that huge animatronic at the end. So well done!

Love the resort pics, looks so pretty!

Sounds like a great start to the day! I'm sorry DS wouldn't go on Kong, but glad you enjoyed it! It really is a cool and unique ride..and thank goodness you avoided the scare actors!

It's gorgeous! A little taste of Italy in the middle of central Florida!

I think I've got him pretty psyched up to give it a try in September, so I hope he can get past his hesitation because I think he will really love it. I don't think I could handle scare actors popping out at me! lol That element alone almost kept me off of the ride!!
 
Day 7 Continued: Friday October 14th

After our first experiences on Kong, we made our way over to Superhero Island. DS was obsessed with Secret Life of Pets at the time, so when we saw this in Toon Lagoon while passing through, he stopped for a picture.


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I took DS over to ride Spider-Man next.


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After the ride, we were getting hungry. It had been a long time since our early breakfast! We ended up at Captain America Café. We got some burgers and chicken, and DH opted for a chocolate shake that was really just a cup full of chocolate ice cream, it seemed like. But it was a big hit around the table!


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DH took DS over to ride Spider-Man again when we were done with lunch.


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DD while we waited
After they finished Spider-Man, I went over to ride Hulk! It had been closed the last two times we had been in Universal for refurb, so I was more than a little excited to get back on this ride! The only bummer was that they added the metal detectors at the beginning of the queue and you can’t bring ANYTHING on the ride. As it was, I had no pockets so I had to get creative to hold onto my express pass, but it meant I couldn’t bring my phone. I didn’t want to end up with another situation like the year before when I didn’t have my phone and walked around for ages looking for DH and DS in Epcot. So I had to use a locker, which is not the most fun thing to have to do, but at least it’s free for awhile.


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I didn’t notice too much different after the refurb except for the queue, but that could also be because I hadn’t ridden it in so long so I barely remember what it was like on the old version, except for that crazy launch! Still as awesome as ever.

When I finished, DS wanted to go on Storm Force Accelatron, and I was more than happy to sit that one out since it’s a ramped up version of the teacups.


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DH took his turn on the Hulk after that, and then we decided to head over to Seuss Landing so DD could actually do something. She had fun playing in the If I Ran the Zoo play area while DS and I did Cat In the Hat and the High In the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.


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While I was on the train, I got the call that our room was ready. It was about 2 pm by then, so we decided it was a good time to go check out the room and get settled and get out of the sun for a bit.


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Walking back to the water taxi


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We stopped at the desk to get our room number and new keys, and stopped at bell services but they said they had to bring our luggage up, we couldn’t bring it ourselves. So we went to the elevator and took it up to the 4th floor where our room was. We knew it wasn’t a good sign when we got up to the 4th floor and the sign in front of us directing us which way to go for our room number said rooms 2430-2497 were to the left and we were in room 2493! It was a looooooong walk down that hallway to our room.

But the room was absolutely gorgeous, and really big. It was actually a deluxe room!


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Our luggage was brought up soon after, and we unpacked the things we’d need for our two nights there and had some much needed downtime. Around 3:45 we were ready to head back out to Universal Studios for the rest of the day. DH was attending Halloween Horror Nights that night and wanted to be in the park before it closed to day guests so he could stay in one of the holding areas until the party started and not have to wait in the huge lines of people coming just for HHN.


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DS picking up a map for us


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The first thing we did was go in search of food. Even though it was a little early, DH would have to be in the holding area by 5 so if I wanted any help with the kids at the meal, we needed to eat early. We went over to Fast Food Boulevard in Springfield, and it’s a good thing we went as early as we did. DH and DS had gone over to ride Men In Black while I ordered the food, and I barely made it in to order my food before the restaurants would be closing to get ready for HHN. I was able to get something for DS and myself, and had been hoping to feed DD while I ate, but she had fallen asleep in the stroller.

When they came to meet us after their ride, they were only let inside because I told the TM at the door they were coming to meet me because they weren’t letting any new guests inside anymore.


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DS ate some of his meal and DH ate the rest. After dinner, it was pretty much time for the kids and me to head out of the park. The rest of the evening didn’t go great for me. We got out to the dock and got on a boat a little after 5 to go back to Portofino. We got up to the 4th floor and allllllllll the way down the hall pushing the stroller only to find out my key didn’t work. So I had to go allllllllll the way back to the elevators, down to the lobby to get a new key, and back down that loooooooong hallway. I was exhausted after all that but I still had to get DD something to eat when we got back to the room. And the crib we had requested at 7 am check in still wasn’t in the room! So I called the front desk and asked them to send one up. I really wanted to get the kids in the tub but I also didn’t want to start all of that and have them show up in the middle with the crib. Over 30 minutes went by with no crib. I even took the kids and walked them halfway down the hall to a room where I had seen housekeepers going in and out of to see if I could find one to ask about the crib, and I had even seen a crib in there earlier in the day. But of course now it was deserted, I didn’t come across a single housekeeper in the halls, and now there was no crib in there.

Finally I called down to the front desk again and got a little ugly, letting them know I had been waiting a long time, I had kids I wanted to get ready for bed, and I needed the dang crib. This time it showed up within 5 minutes. I usually employ the “you get more flies with honey than with vinegar” technique when dealing with people, but I guess I should have been a bit more aggressive the first time I called. Once the crib arrived, I tossed the kids in the tub for a quick bath, then took a quick shower myself and dried my hair since I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that once I put DD down for the noise. When I was ready to put DD down, I settled DS in his bed with his iPad and headphones. I got her to bed around 8:15 and after getting myself ready for bed, I laid down early myself at 8:45. It wasn’t the best night’s sleep, as I woke up at 11 when DD started fussing, but she went back to sleep quickly, then I woke up when DH came back to the room from HHN, and again with DD at around 2:30 and she just ended up in bed with us after that until our alarm went off at 5:30 am.

So my night was frustrating but mundane. DH’s was more interesting, or maybe frightening, depending on how you look at it. But I’ll let him tell you about his night at Halloween Horror Nights.

UP NEXT: Halloween Horror Nights
 
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Sounds like a good afternoon for everyone!

Your room looks so nice, though I'm sorry it was so far! I love the pic of the batrhoom because you can see DS lounging on the bed :goodvibes

Sorry you had such a frustrating situation with the room key AND crib back at the hotel :( not the best night!
 
Yikes, that's a long time to wait for a crib. And it might not have been so bad had it happened during the day, but it was bedtime and you needed to put those kiddos to sleep for the night! Glad you were able to grab some dinner before the park closed, though.
I'm terrified at the thought of attending HHN, but man that American Horror Story house sounded so awesome!

What did you end up doing with the Express Pass during the Hulk? Just hold on tight to it during the ride? I didn't even think about not having pockets, which is the case with a lot of pants nowadays!
 
Sounds like a good afternoon for everyone!

Your room looks so nice, though I'm sorry it was so far! I love the pic of the batrhoom because you can see DS lounging on the bed :goodvibes

Sorry you had such a frustrating situation with the room key AND crib back at the hotel :( not the best night!

It was a very productive afternoon, which is great when time is so limited!

lol I like that picture of DS too. He loved the window into the bathroom. Thought it was the greatest thing ever! Haha.

Yeah it was pretty rough being that I was by myself. Probably wouldn't have been nearly so bad had DH been there to help with the baths or getting the crib or the messed up keys.

Yikes, that's a long time to wait for a crib. And it might not have been so bad had it happened during the day, but it was bedtime and you needed to put those kiddos to sleep for the night! Glad you were able to grab some dinner before the park closed, though.
I'm terrified at the thought of attending HHN, but man that American Horror Story house sounded so awesome!

What did you end up doing with the Express Pass during the Hulk? Just hold on tight to it during the ride? I didn't even think about not having pockets, which is the case with a lot of pants nowadays!

Yes definitely wouldn't have been as bad during the day or even if it had not been the night DH was at HHN!

I'm totally the same about HHN!! No desire to actually do it and be terrified, but I really love AHS. I actually ended up watching walk through videos on YouTube so I could kind of experience it without having to be terrified out of my wits lol they looked very cool!! Same with walking dead. Another franchise I love but I certainly don't want to live it!

I may or may not have tucked it in my bra :rolleyes1:blush:
 
It's interesting to read a report on one of the Universal hotels. I have never checked those out at all. It certainly looks nice from the pictures. Too bad you had trouble getting the crib.
 
It's interesting to read a report on one of the Universal hotels. I have never checked those out at all. It certainly looks nice from the pictures. Too bad you had trouble getting the crib.

We have never resort hopped at Universal, so it was our very first time seeing Portofino at all, and it didn't disappoint! An absolutely stunning resort, for sure. It was a bit of a frustrating evening, even more so because I was alone with the kids, but just a hiccup in an otherwise great stay there.
 
Wow, what a day! Glad you made it there so early and got so much done. Hotel looks great. But what a crummy evening with the key not working and the crib being so slow to arrive. Hope DH had a great time that evening!
 
Your trip reports are very entertaining. Your kids are roughly the same age as ours so I can relate to many of the "kids being kids" parts good and bad. I'm looking forward to following the rest of this report.
 

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