Lynzer4
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2007
This is my first (hopefully successful) trip report!
Howdy, I figured I would share my adventure this time as I spend all year reading other trip reports wishing I was there (there meaning Disney and recently Universal)!
Time on the DarkSide: A belated Birthday Weekend Trip: July 10-13!
Cast:
Me – 30 year old who loves to travel. I am a HUGE Backstreet Boys Fan and Disney Freak! If I could travel for a living I would. I do development and planning for a social service agency.
Little Cousin – who we will call LC. She just turned 13 and this trip has turned into a belated Birthday present for her. She is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and just learned on her birthday (5/31) that she will be going to the DarkSide! She is the oldest of three.
Pre-Trip Report
I love to travel and go places so it’s not hard to convince myself to go on trips. My only true issue is finding the time off work for all my travels LOL! So earlier this year one of my really good friends moved to Orlando and of course I told her I would visit her over the summer because who has a friend in Orlando and DOESN’T visit. The original plan was to stay with her and make it a “Cheap” long weekend! Of course being in Orlando means a visit to the HOUSE OF MOUSE to me. But then I started seeing all those cool Harry Potter commercials.
(Side story – Almost 9 years ago my uncle was killed by a drunk driver. He has three amazing children who are like little sisters to me as my mom and uncle were very close. They even lived with us for a while. Anyway the oldest (LC) just turned 13 and I thought what a great Birthday Surprise to take her. She is a thrill ride junkie and LOVES HP. Her mom had mentioned her seeing the commercials and saying – I wanna go there (hence the title))!
So after a few weeks of trying to figure out timing as LC has summer camps all summer, I booked our weekend trip for July 10-13. The plan is to fly out on the afternoon of the 10th and home late on the 13th. That gives us 2 full days in the parks!
Since LC was now going with me I figured it would be more fun to stay at a hotel since my friend lives on the north side of Orlando (45 mins from the park). As I started to really plan this trip, I learned that the expansion to HP would be opening just before we arrive (hopefully) and EE is really needed to ensure a short wait time. So that meant a Universal Hotel. The more I researched I learned about FOTL passes and that in July the benefit is immeasurable (at least to me with only 2 park days). So that is how we ended up at Pacific Royal Resort.
The Big Surprise – telling LC
LC and her mom and sisters came to visit my family the weekend before her birthday (we live about 3 hours from them). My mom had been telling people about LC and I going (which means someone was bound to tell LC before I could reveal the surprise on her bday). Since she was in person, I thought I better tell her now unlike my original plan sending a puzzle of text messages! So I sit her down and ask her if there is anywhere she wants to go this summer. She looks at me like I’m crazy. I ask her about her seeing the commercials for HP. I ask her – How about there! We fly out on the 10th of July. I believe the ARE YOU SERIOUS! was said about 10x before the screaming. I think I am just starting to get hearing back in my left ear as she screamed so loud and attacking me. To put it lightly, she is a little excited!
So now I just have to wait 27 more days!
Howdy, I figured I would share my adventure this time as I spend all year reading other trip reports wishing I was there (there meaning Disney and recently Universal)!
Time on the DarkSide: A belated Birthday Weekend Trip: July 10-13!
Cast:
Me – 30 year old who loves to travel. I am a HUGE Backstreet Boys Fan and Disney Freak! If I could travel for a living I would. I do development and planning for a social service agency.
Little Cousin – who we will call LC. She just turned 13 and this trip has turned into a belated Birthday present for her. She is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and just learned on her birthday (5/31) that she will be going to the DarkSide! She is the oldest of three.
Pre-Trip Report
I love to travel and go places so it’s not hard to convince myself to go on trips. My only true issue is finding the time off work for all my travels LOL! So earlier this year one of my really good friends moved to Orlando and of course I told her I would visit her over the summer because who has a friend in Orlando and DOESN’T visit. The original plan was to stay with her and make it a “Cheap” long weekend! Of course being in Orlando means a visit to the HOUSE OF MOUSE to me. But then I started seeing all those cool Harry Potter commercials.
(Side story – Almost 9 years ago my uncle was killed by a drunk driver. He has three amazing children who are like little sisters to me as my mom and uncle were very close. They even lived with us for a while. Anyway the oldest (LC) just turned 13 and I thought what a great Birthday Surprise to take her. She is a thrill ride junkie and LOVES HP. Her mom had mentioned her seeing the commercials and saying – I wanna go there (hence the title))!
So after a few weeks of trying to figure out timing as LC has summer camps all summer, I booked our weekend trip for July 10-13. The plan is to fly out on the afternoon of the 10th and home late on the 13th. That gives us 2 full days in the parks!
Since LC was now going with me I figured it would be more fun to stay at a hotel since my friend lives on the north side of Orlando (45 mins from the park). As I started to really plan this trip, I learned that the expansion to HP would be opening just before we arrive (hopefully) and EE is really needed to ensure a short wait time. So that meant a Universal Hotel. The more I researched I learned about FOTL passes and that in July the benefit is immeasurable (at least to me with only 2 park days). So that is how we ended up at Pacific Royal Resort.
The Big Surprise – telling LC
LC and her mom and sisters came to visit my family the weekend before her birthday (we live about 3 hours from them). My mom had been telling people about LC and I going (which means someone was bound to tell LC before I could reveal the surprise on her bday). Since she was in person, I thought I better tell her now unlike my original plan sending a puzzle of text messages! So I sit her down and ask her if there is anywhere she wants to go this summer. She looks at me like I’m crazy. I ask her about her seeing the commercials for HP. I ask her – How about there! We fly out on the 10th of July. I believe the ARE YOU SERIOUS! was said about 10x before the screaming. I think I am just starting to get hearing back in my left ear as she screamed so loud and attacking me. To put it lightly, she is a little excited!
So now I just have to wait 27 more days!
