Phase Three - Day Eleven - Universal Studios

Sunday, November 2, 2014

We wake to find temperatures are in the low 40s. Brrrr!!! Orlando and surrounding communities have set new records for low temperatures this day. Temperatures are running 15 degrees below average. I have not brought any long sleeved shirts with me but I do have jeans, a sweatshirt, and a scarf. Perhaps I will buy a long sleeved shirt to wear over the sleeveless top I don. We check out the gift shop in the lobby but it offers nothing of interest. I'll look again when we enter the park.

Last night was the night to turn our clocks back - this was the third time in a week we've needed to adjust our time!!

The Pacific Royal has a breakfast in the lobby. When comparing prices, the cost(s) for individual items is slightly less than the restaurants downstairs so we opt to eat here. My breakfast is a bagel with cream cheese, a cup of coffee and some orange juice. Gene has a Danish, hard boiled egg, cup of coffee and shares the juice. Total for breakfast is $20. I was able to charge it to me room without showing my room key - only providing my room number (which I got wrong on my first attempt) and providing my last name. I was going o discard the receipt for breakfast but realized both my room number and last name were printed on the receipt. If I didn't need to provide my room key, wouldn't someone else have all the information they needed to charge back to my room??!!

We walk over to Islands of Adventure and arrive right around 9 or so. The sun feels pretty good and the wind has died down since yesterday so I opt not to shop for a long sleeved shirt at this point. As we enter the park, Gene is asked to take a survey. The survey is so long and detailed that Gene finally becomes frustrated with it and begins to answer questions haphazardly just to finish it. He tells the person who asked him to take it that it is far too long and he would never do it again!!

There are some rides I do solo as Gene does not wish to tempt fate and end up feeling terrible again after riding another simulator ride which bothers him. I start with Spider Man (solo) - it's different than the last time I saw it and I know Gene would have had problems with the effects so it is good he did not ride. I do the single rider line on Harry Potter as Gene will not attempt this ride again at this point in time. We try a butterbeer. To me, it tastes like cream soda. We also watch at bit of the Frog Choir before moving on. We do Poseidon's Fury together as we have done this before and I know Gene can tolerate the walking tour. Following that, we pop into Mythos for lunch. I have a chicken sandwich with ham and cheese while Gene had a roast beef sandwich - both are decent. Following lunch, we go to the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show. We then ride the the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride and The Cat in the Hat (they've fixed the issue wherein you would slide all over the seats when riding this ride).

For most of this day, Hogswarts Express - Hogsmeade Station has been listed as closed. I suggest we walk over there and check it out anyway. We arrive to find it operational with a 20 minute wait time. So now, we've completed both experiences on this ride. On the Universal side, we find Diagon Alley to be mobbed. Escape from Gringott's lists a 75 minute wait time but, since Gene will not be going on it, I get on the single rider line. It takes about 20 minutes to get through this line. The ride is good but I leave undecided as to whether or not Gene would be able to tolerate this combination of roller coaster and simulator.

When I exit, we decide to leave the park. We wander around City Walk for a bit and decide to stop at Margarittaville's Porch of Indecision for a drink. We are totally ignored - our presence is not even acknowledged by any of the servers who continually walk through and by. We decide they clearly are not interested in our business so we leave and head back to our resort.

Gene has not had much opportunity to watch Nascar races this year but one is on this late afternoon so we settle in and Gene catches up on some racing while I catch up on my trip notes.

We decide to head over to Bubba Gump's for dinner this evening. The wait to be seated is 5-10 minutes. We are waiting to be seated right in front of a family from Massachusetts. One member of that family really wants to see the Patriots' game which in on tv. Ironically, we are seated right near to the bar and have a wonderful view of the bar tv which is featuring the game. The Patriots win in this game against Denver.

We have crab stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer. Given where we are, we do order shrimp for dinner. Gene has the coconut shrimp while I have fried shrimp. Gene buys one of the Bubba Gump glasses. This is becoming problematic. He bought two glasses in Jamaica; one on the ship; two Harry Potter glasses; one Harry Potter mug; and now a Bubba Glass. I need to figure out how to get all seven of these glasses home when space in our luggage is already tight. Well that is a problem for tomorrow!!

Gene also has strawberry shortcake and a decaf coffee. I don't feel like having dessert or coffee so skip over both.

By time we leave the restaurant, it is clear that a wait for a table is much longer. We take the walk back to the Royal Pacific and settle in for the evening.