Pictures to take while you're in Universal

Like anything else that has to do with our vacation, I did a lot of research about what pictures we should take while we're at Universal. I used a mix of some ideas I saw online and things I remembered from when we visited 3 years ago. That is how I made our list to take with us. It served useful as we wanted to bring home some special photographic memories to display at home. Here's our list:

Click here to view as a PDF and download.

Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida We decided absolute last minute (less than 2 days prior) that we were going to go to Legoland. We arrived shortly after opening (mostly due to the parking situation – it took us FOREVER to get through that line) and there were already a TON of people.

After we waited in the super long line to get in, we made our way to the photo counter to buy the photo package. I always think it's worth it for the ride photos. You can take as many pictures as you want, but you'll never be able to get those ride photos without buying them individually or just splurging to get the package and getting as many as you want. There are currently 5 different rides that have offer on-ride photos. Plus, there are multiple meet and greets. Times are posted in a pamphlet given to you when you first enter. However, they don't tell you who the meet and greet is with. We also saw a photographer at the very front before you enter to take a picture with the Welcome sign and one right after you enter. I'm not really sure what he was taking a picture with, but we were paying for those pictures, so we got them!

We walked straight to the back to Lego City where Tom and Owen rode the flight school ride. They seemed to really enjoy it and there was absolutely no wait.

Next up was Ford driving school. We waited about 15-20 minutes. They take your (kids only, aged 6-13) picture while in line for your license. Then you go into a room (with benches! Woo!) to watch a video about 'how to drive.' Then, you go outside and the kids get in their cars to drive. Owen loved it. And afterward, he bought himself a drivers license! Plus, it came with a lanyard. You get a couple different options for which kind of license you want. My son chose a firefighter license. It's pretty cute.

Also located in this area is junior driving school for younger kids, boating school, and Rescue Academy.

Then we headed over to the Lego Ninjago World. It's very neatly themed in this part of the park. There are a lot of cool Ninja training things you could do. We headed straight for Lego Ninjago The Ride. There was practically no wait which was nice. It was a really fun ride, but it was kind of weird because you use your hands and arms to shoot energy balls at things. I just couldn't seem to make it work, but Tom and Owen did. And we also looked like total doofuses in the picture!

Later in the day, this is also where we did the Kai meet and greet. That was fun, too. But I always think it's fun to take pictures with characters.

In the Land of Adventure, Tom and Owen rode Coastersaurus. They had a ton of fun. It's like your normal wooden coaster. Their picture turned out really well. They probably had to wait about 20-30 minutes in line.

We also really enjoyed The Lost Kingdom Adventure. We just love this ride. Apparently, we're big fans of shooting rides. It's so much fun.

Also in the part of the park are Beetle Bounce and Safari Trek.

We decided to walk over to the Great Lego Race and check it out. The line didn't look THAT long so we went ahead and got in it. Well, after we'd already waited about 20 minutes, they told us it was a 2 hour wait. Really? I mean, I understand that this is a brand new ride, but that just seemed crazy. But after we talked about it, we decided to go ahead and wait it out. After all, we'd never been on a VR ride before. We really missed those Express Passes from Universal though. We made the most of our time by having Tom get out of line to go get food and then bring it back. I know that's bad line ettiquette, but we were starving and we forgot to bring snacks. Luckily, there were also a couple places in line that had Legos to play with. The 1st time we rode, Owen's VR went black and the very beginning and didn't work so they let him go again. I decided I only wanted to go once so Tom and Owen went by themselves. The VR ride was so cool! You were completely immersed in the ride. It was a little freaky because you couldn't always tell where you were going next, but I understood why everyone was ok with the wait. It was a very slow-loading ride.

We walked over to Lego Kingdoms to ride The Dragon, but unfortunately, after about 5 minutes in line, they told everyone the ride was closed and they weren't sure when it was going to open. Also in this area is Merlin's Challenge and Royal Joust.

Those were all the rides we rode since we had a very limited about of time to spend at Legoland (only about 5 hours).

The rides in DUPLO Valley are DUPLO tractor and DUPLO train.

The only ride in Imagination Zone is Kid Power Towers.

We were disappointed that we didn't get to try Mia's Riding Adventure in Heartlake City.

The only ride in Fun Town is The Grand Carousel.

The only ride in The Lego World of Chima is the Quest for Chi. You will probably get a little wet on this ride.

In unspecified areas, there is also Technicycle and Aquazone Wave Racers.

We love visiting Legoland. And hopefully we'll be able to make it back at least one more time before Owen gets too old to really enjoy it.

Islands of Adventure

WARNING: Just like my post about Universal Studios, this one about Islands of Adventure will be long.

Jurassic Park

Attractions:
1. Jurassic Park River Adventure – Shoot the Chute – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
I was a little concerned at first because the posted wait time was 130 minutes and I heard people say that with Express Passes, you could wait up to half the posted time, but we only ended up waiting about 20 minutes. I loved this ride. I thought the story was fun and the theming was great. It was a little dated, but Jurassic Park is a classic!

2. Pteranodon Flyers – Suspended roller coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult/over 56” with rider 36”-56”
We didn't ride this one this time because we were on a tight time-frame and it doesn't have an Express Pass line. I want to say we waited about an hour last time and while it was fun, we'll only ride it when we have plenty of time to spare. Plus, you can only ride if you have a child with you so one of us has to just sit out and wait (they won't let you go through the line if you're not riding).
3. Raptor Encounter – Character Zone
If you want to be first in line (like us, apparently), you only need to show up 15 minutes before it starts (which was 10am while we were there). Definitely have them record your experience. We love having our video with Rho to watch whenever we're missing Universal.

4. Jurassic Park Discovery Center
We had heard plenty of people telling us to check this out. And to be honest, it's so not worth it unless you're going to see the egg hatch. I mean, we walked around and checked stuff out, but it was a little boring. Some of the stuff seemed broken and it was just a little dated. But the hatching dinosaur was by far the coolest part. The 'scientist' talked for a couple minutes and then she asked if anyone had a name suggestion for the newborn raptor. My son shot his hand up and suggested 'Penny' when the scientist asked and that's how my son got a certificate saying that he named a baby raptor. Now, whenever we go back, we can ask a scientist to check on her and when we give her name and the date she was born, they'll give us an update on her. He thought that was super cool.

Dining: 1. Pizza Predattoria
fresh baked pizzas, meatball subs, chicken Caesar salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
This was by far the longest line we waited in all day (at 3pm)! It actually took us from ahead of schedule to behind schedule! It was slightly infuriating. Plus, it was pretty difficult to find a table with all those people sitting at them that weren't eating and just resting. Besides that, I thought everything tasted great! Even my son, who is a very picky and light eater, ate an entire pizza to himself. The meatball sub was very tasty. We also got some breadsticks and salads. We were all full when we left.
2. The Burger Digs
burgers, garden burgers, chicken sandwiches, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
3. The Watering Hole
hot dogs, wings, chili, nachos, beer, wine, cocktails and frozen beverages, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6
4. Thunder Falls Terrace
BBQ ribs, rotisserie chicken, smoked turkey legs, soup, salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9

Shopping:
1. Dinostore
Owen bought a fun little toy here. I didn't really see anything that was great with Jurassic Park theming. It was mostly just generic dinosaur stuff. That was a little disappointing.
2. Jurassic Outfitters
They have all the same stuff that the Dinostore has. This is at the exit of the Jurassic Park Ride.

Skull Island

Attractions:
1. Skull Island: Reign of Kong – Dark ride – Over 36”
This was our longest ride wait of the entire day with a mere 30 minute wait. But that's nothing compared to posted wait time of 110 minutes. It looks really scary from the outside. I know that a lot of people say that you miss out on great line theming when you use express, but I'd rather miss a little than wait that long for a ride. For the ride itself, you're in a huge safari-like truck. We were seated toward the back and it was seriously amazing! This is one of the coolest rides! Kong and the dinosaurs could be a little scary for young kids, but our little dare devil thought it was insanely cool.

Toon Lagoon

Attractions:
1. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls – Log Flume – Over 48” or over 44” with adult
I chose not to go on this one, but there is a test seat out front so I'm not entirely sure I would have fit on it anyway. That being said, my son and husband did go on this and they said it was a lot of fun. I believe my son's exact words were, “That was awesome!” They came of a little wet after sitting in the last 2 seats. They only waited 10 minutes with Express Passes.

2. Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges – River rapids ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
We chose not to ride this one because it seemed like you got wet just for the sake of getting wet.
3. Classic Comic Book Characters – Character Zone – Betty Boop, Popeye, Olive

Dining:
1. Blondie's: Home of the Dagwood
sandwiches and subs including the famous “Dagwood”, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9
2. Cathy's Ice Cream
sundaes, shakes and waffle cones featuring Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5
3. Comic Strip Cafe
fried chicken, fish & chips, hot dogs, burgers, and even Asian & Italian dishes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6
4. Wimpy's
double cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, chicken wraps, chili dogs and fries, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $6

Marvel Super Hero Island

Attractions:
1. Doctor Doom's Fearfall – Space Shot – Over 52”
This is one of the few rides we've never ridden.
2. Storm Force Accelatron – Teacups – Over 48” or with adult
Think spinning tea cups, but themed in a much cooler way that you're battling bad guys! It's so much fun! And of course, with my husband and son, we have to try to spin as fast as possible! The posted wait was 25 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 7 minutes.
3. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – 4D motion based dark ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
The posted wait for this ride was 70 minutes, but with Express Passes, we only waited a very fast 15 minutes. This was one of my favorite rides. It's so much fun. This is definitely the most rollercoaster-like ride of the 4D ones.
4. The Incredible Hulk Coaster – Sitting Coaster – Over 54”
My husband rode this last time and thought it was great, but since he's the only one that can ride this (I'm too big and my son is too small) he decided to skip it this time.
5. Meet Spider-Man and the Marvel Super Heroes – Character Zone – Spider-Man, Captain America, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Doctor Doom, The Green Goblin
6. Spider-Man Appearing at the Marvel Aternivurse Store – Character Zone
We waited about 10 minutes to meet Spider-Man, which wasn't bad considering he spends a good 2-3 minutes with each kid. He really takes the time to talk to them and then signs an autograph for every kid. Plus, in the end, you get this really cool picture that looks like the cover of a comic book.
Dining:
1. Cafe 4
Italian eatery with pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, fettuccini, meatball subs and chicken Caesar salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
2. Captain America Diner
all-American menu of cheeseburgers, sandwiches, chicken fingers, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Port of Entry

Dining:
1. Confisco Grille
Italian, Asian and Greek dishes, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Cinnabon
cinnamon rolls, caramel pecanbon rolls, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Croissant Moon Bakery
savory deli sandwiches, paninis, freshly baked pastries and cheesecakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3
4. Starbucks Coffee
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $2

Seuss Landing

Attractions:
1. Caro-Seuss-el – Carousel – over 48” or with adult
2. Oh! The Stories You'll Hear! – Live show – No height requirement
3. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – Flying Fish – Over 48” or with an adult
4. The Cat in the Hat – Dark ride – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
5. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride – Powered train ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
The wait was only 12 minutes (whether you had Express Passes or not). We thought it was ok. Great for little kids!
6. Seuss Character Zone – Character Zone – The Cat in the Hat, Sam I Am, Thing One & Thing Two, The Grinch

Dining:
1. Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous
sweet snacks, frosty cold drinks and wholesome nutritious meals, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
2. Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop
sundaes, sundae on a stick, waffle cones, and root beer floats, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Moose Juice, Goose Juice
juice, frozen juice, fruit cups, churros, pretzels & cookies, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
Shopping: 1. Honk Honkers
This is at the exit of the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride to the right. It's a cute little candy store. But the highlight here is clearly the cotton candy. They have a couple different flavors (my son chose Jolly Berry) and a couple different things you can add to the layers (like sprinkles!). And it is HUGE! They give you a bag to put it in which makes transporting it around much easier (especially on a windy day). But they leave it out of the bag when they give it to you so you can get a fun picture of just how large it is! Plus, it's seriously delicious. I'm not joking when I say it's probably the best tasting cotton candy I've ever had!

2. Snookers & Snookers Sweet Candy Cookers
This is at the exit of the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride to the left. This has all the other candy you could imagine!
3. Mulberry Street Store
You will find everything from shirts to mugs to wigs and everything in between that are Dr. Seuss character related.
4. All The Books You Can Read
You guessed it! They sell books! Plus, some other goods like clothes.
5. Cats, Hats & Things
This is at the exit of the Cat in the Hat ride. It sells pretty much anything you could think of in Cat in the Hat fashion.

The Lost Continent

Attractions:
1. Poseidon's Fury – Live action show – Over 48” or with adult
2. The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show – Live action show – No height requirement
3. The Mystic Fountain – Comedy Show – fountain that loves to tell riddles and jokes that will get you wet if you answer its questions incorrectly

Dining:
1. Mythos Restaurant
rock formations, waterfalls and ancient figures, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Doc Sugrue's Desert Kebab House
beef, chicken or vegetarian kebabs and Greek salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
3. Fire Eater's Grill
grilled gyros, fiery chicken stingers, chicken fingers, hot dogs and salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Orlando Gateway Hotel

Orlando Gateway Hotel 7299 Universal Boulevard After having sticker shock over the exorbitant amount our first hotel stay was in Orlando, on-site at Universal at the Royal Pacific Hotel, we decided that since we were planning on just taking off the next morning, it made more sense for us to find a different, cheaper hotel for our second night. We have frequently stayed at Best Western hotels so we usually check those out first before moving on to something else. That's when we came across the Orlando Gateway Hotel. This really seeemed to meet our needs for the night.

We checked in around 10:15pm after our full day at Universal. The room didn't really seem that special, but it wasn't bad in any way. It was exactly what we needed. We were so exhausted we just wanted to go to bed.

About ½ hour after we woke up, our toilet broke and started spewing water from the tank so Tom had to turn the water off and call the front desk. Luckily, we were checking out soon.

I wouldn't say there's anything super special about this hotel, but it definitely gets the job done. And it felt clean. I feel like that's the most important thing when it comes to hotels.

Universal Studios

WARNING: This will be a very long post with lots of pictures! Hopefully, there's some good information in here for you to help with your vacation planning! Now, let's get started!

World Expo

Attractions:
1. Fear Factor Live – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl – Aerial carousel – Over 48” or with an adult
3. Men in Black: Alien Attack – Interactive Dark Ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
With a posted time of 50 minutes, we only waited 15 minutes with Express Passes. We absolutely love this ride. It's so much fun to shoot all the aliens! Make sure you keep the button pressed down the whole time to get the most points.

4. The Simpsons Ride – Motion Simulator – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
5. The Simpsons Character Zone – Character Zone – Sideshow Bob and Krusty the Clown, plus possibly the members of the Simpson family

Dining:
1. Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck
Mexican street food, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
2. Cletus' Chicken Shack
chicken & waffle sandwich, chicken arms, chicken thumbs, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9
3. Duff Brewery
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
4. Flaming Moe's
fruit-flavored drinks, Quick Service Dining
5. Krusty Burger
Krusty Burger, Clogger Burger, The Ribwich, Sideshow Bob Foot Long, The Heat Lamp Dog, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
6. Lard Lad Donuts
giant pink donuts, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
7. Lisa's Teahouse of Horror
pre-packaged items like salads, veggie sandwiches, turkey wraps, hummus, fruit plates, fruit cups and yogurt, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
8. Luigi's Pizza
individual pizzas – cheese, vegetarian, Meat Liker's, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
9. Moe's Tavern
try the love tester machine, Quick Service Dining
We were excited to go in here because the last time we came, it was closed by the time we got around to it. This time, we sat at the bar and ate a Big Pink (yes, they sell the big pink donuts from Lard Lad's at the bar in Moe's) while my husband ordered a Duff and my son ordered a Flaming Moe. It's almost worth it to get this drink just to watch the guy pour it! It's so much fun to see it bubble. It's just an orange soda with a dry ice cube in the bottom (in a little compartment so you can't actually touch it). And the Big Pink is seriously one of the tastiest donuts I've ever had. It's so light and fluffy and there's just the perfect amount of frosting on top for my liking.

10. The Frying Dutchman
Basket O' Shrimp, Basket O' Calamari, Basket O' Bait, Clam Chowd-arr, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $9

Woody Woodpecker's KidZone

Attractions:
1. A Day in the Park with Barney – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Animal Actors on Location! – Live Show – No height requirement
3. Curious George Goes to Town – Play area – No height requirement
4. E.T. Adventure – Dark Ride – Over 48 inches or over 34” with adult
The posted time was 20 minutes and we waited 5 minutes with our Express Passes. Honestly, the ride is fine. It's super weird. And I wanted to like it because so many people have said how much they like it. But I just couldn't get past how uncomfortable I was. I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it through the whole ride. My hips were WAY to big to be comfortable. But still, I guess the ride was pretty cool, definitely old, but classic. Plus, I really enjoyed the pictures my son got to take after the ride in the gift shop.

5. Fievel's Playland – Play area – No height requirement
6. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster – Vekoma Junior Coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
With a posted time of 45 minutes, we only waited 5 minutes with Express Passes. It was pretty similar to Flight of the Hippogriff. It was fun, but very short (good thing we didn't wait very long).
7. Meet Spongebob Squarepants – Character Zone – Spongebob and Patrick

Dining:
1. KidZone Pizza Company
pizza, chicken fingers, chef salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

Hollywood

Attractions:
1. Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show – Live Show – No height requirement
2. Studios Brass Band – Musical Show – TV and movie theme songs
3. Universal's Superstar Parade – Parade – Spongebob Squarepants, Dora & Diego, The Secret Life of Pets, and Despicable Me characters
4. Character Party Zone – Character Zone – meet some of your favorite theme park characters
5. Hollywood Character Zone – Woody Woodpecker, Curious George, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop, Lucille Ball, Hello Kitty, Doc Brown
6. Meet Shrek & Donkey – Character Zone

Dining:
1. Cafe La Bamba
Character Breakfast and Premium Dining Experience, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
2. Mel's Drive-In
50's drive-in – burgers and fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, floats and milk shakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
3. Schwab's Pharmacy
ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, malts, banana splits and ice cream floats, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5

Production Central

Attractions:
1. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – 4D Motion Simulator – Over 48” or over 40” with an adult
This was one of our longer waits of the day with the posted time being 100 minutes and our wait time with Express Passes (from the point where we got in line to when we actually got on the ride – not that waiting room you go into for the opening info) was 20 minutes. There are a couple rooms before that are like ride intros, but it's still just waiting in my opinion. We love this ride. It's so much fun and the story is absolutely adorable.
2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – X-Car Music roller coaster – Over 51” but under 79”
This was the first time my son was tall enough to ride this. They even pulled him out of line to check his height and he JUST made it. I'm talking potentially less than a centimeter, folks. And he had the time of his life. He almost chickened out about 5 times, but he eventually got on the ride and at the end, it was his new favorite! This is a real rollercoaster that takes you on spins and huge plunges. The posted time for this ride was 75 minutes and with Express Passes, my son and husband only waited 10 minutes.
3. Shrek 4-D – 4D ride – No height requirement
4. Transformers: The Ride-3D – 4D motion based dark ride – Over 48” or over 40” with adult
This was one of our favorite rides 3 years ago and it didn't disappoint this time around either. The posted wait time 65 minutes and with Express Passes, we waited 10 minutes. This ride is great about putting you into the story and really making you think that you're a real character in this high-speed chase to get the Allspark and keep it away from Megatron.
5. Meet the Transformers – Character Zone – Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the evil Megatron
We were able to get in line just as they were switching from Megatron to Optimus Prime. Owen was really excited to meet him. They're so huge. I only wish the pictures could do the transformers justice in really showing how big they are. We only waited about 5 minutes in this line.

Dining:
1. Beverly Hills Boulangerie
breakfast croissants, sandwiches, soup, salads and freshly baked pastries, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3
2. Bone Chillin
beverage stand, frozen slush drinks, beer, and mixed drinks, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Universal Studios' Classic Monsters Cafe
chicken, pizza, salads, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8

New York

Attractions:
1. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – 4D Ride
2. Revenge of the Mummy – Launched roller coaster and dark ride – Over 48”
3. The Blues Brothers Show – Live show – No height requirement
4. Beat Builders – Musical Show – percussion show that incorporates materials and equipment found on a typical construction site
5. Marilyn and the Diamond Bellas – Musical Show
6. Sing It! – Musical Show – singing competition where powerhouse vocalists battle for a cappella supremacy

Dining:
1. Finnegan's Bar and Grill
Irish dishes – potato and leek soup, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, fish & chips, Casual Dining, Starting at $10
2. Ben & Jerry's
cones, sundaes and shakes, plus delicious smoothies, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $5
3. Louie's Italian Restaurant
the Bronx's best pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, fettuccini, meatball subs, salads, plus gelato & Italian Ice, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $7
4. Starbucks Coffee
Quick Service Dining, Starting at $2

San Francisco

Attractions:
1. Fast and Furious: Supercharged
2. Flying Fish Market – Action Show – acrobatic fish tossing – located right by New York

Dining:
1. Lombard's Seafood Grille
New England clam chowder, bay shrimp Cobb salad, fish & fries and a catch of the day, Casual Dining, Starting at $11
2. Chez Alcatraz
homemade chips, flatbread, and specialty drinks, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $4
3. Richter's Burger Co.
double cheeseburgers that you top yourself at the fixins bar, plus chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken salads and milk shakes, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $8
4. San Francisco Pastry Company
pastries, soups, and sandwiches, Quick Service Dining, Starting at $3

The Jaws shark is in this area near the waterfront.

Universal Orlando Resort Hotel

Royal Pacific Hotel 6300 Hollywood Way

We arrived around 4:30pm. There was a line for check-in but it seemed to move pretty fast. Our room wasn't ready yet so they gave us a couple free drink/dessert tickets to use at one of the hotel restaurants. They also gave Owen a birthday button and a card with a free dessert ticket. We were also welcomed with some leis. That was a fun polynesian touch. We picked up our Universal tickets from the kiosk.
We also decided to go ahead and use our free drink and dessert tickets so we went to Jake's American Bar. It took a while and we didn't end up leaving until almost 6pm. I got a Blue Crush and Tom got a Ginger Crush. They were pretty good. They definitely give you that island feel. We shared a Jumbo Dark Chocolate cupcake with Nutella inside and cream cheese frosting. I felt like it was almost a little dry, but really good. And it was huge! Owen got brownies and a root beer float. Even though it took us a while to get out of there, at the end of the day, we only payed $4 so we made sure to tip well.
We did eventually get a text saying that our room was ready so we dropped some stuff off before going to CityWalk.
Our room was beautiful and clean. It was spacious and everything I could ask for from a hotel room. We had a great view of the pool. Plus, we were on the 3rd floor which was actually the lobby floor so it was very convenient.
The next morning, we had to check out very early so that we could get to the parks before early admission. Apparently, there are many ways to check out. I thought it was very cool that you could check out from your TV, but that wasn't available while we were there so we ended up calling. You just leave a message with your name and room number and that's it! You're checked out.
We will 100% be staying here again in the future! I just loved it! And next time, maybe we can stay even longer.

Roadtrip: Day 9: Panama City Beach, FL to Nashville, TN

We took our time getting out of bed this morning since we knew we had a big, long day ahead of us. We took a couple pictures by the beach before we left the gulf for our trip back up North. Then we got in the car.

We stopped at a couple roadside attractions along the way:
1. Big Peach Statue
2300 7th Ave S, Clanton, AL
This is actually in a little park at the end of the parking lot between a gas station and a market. It's a pretty cute little statue. And the park is a small little area to stretch your legs.

2. 125-foot-tall Cross
316 Mountain Crest Parkway, Gardendale, AL
So, we didn't actually stop for this one because we just wanted to get to our destination. But you can see it very clearly from the highway so stopping isn't entirely necessary in my opinion. It is absolutely huge and very cool to see though.

Bonus: You can see a very cool rocket at the side of the road on your way near Elkmont, AL.

3. Giant Chicken with Chef Hat
1371 Bryson Rd, Elkton, TN
Now, this one was a pretty good stop. It's right outside of a gas station. There's food, gas, restrooms, and a cute photo-op. How can you go wrong?

After our huge, long 7-hour trip from Florida to Tennessee, we were exhausted so we just checked into our hotel. But we didn't have any time to hang around. We were off to our next adventure. We decided to take our son to his first concert: Dashboard Confessional and All-American Rejects. Now, he wasn't overly interested in this, but he did enjoy himself. Ascend Amphitheater is actually pretty nice! There were a couple food trucks (which was awesome since we didn't have time for dinner beforehand). We sat on the grass in the back of the amphitheater. However, we got there early so we were able to get a spot right behind the break between the grass seating and the reserved seating. That was pretty cool. We were able to see pretty well. And of course, we really enjoyed when they played their old, nostalgic music. We did end up staying for the entire concert, so by the time we got back to our hotel, it was pretty late, especially for a 7yo.

The Hotel: Drury Inn and Suites
555 Donelson Pike, Nashville, TN
So this hotel wasn't really close to anything (except the airport), but we looked and looked and everything in the heart of Nashville was ridiculously expensive. So we figured we would pay half the price and stay a little outside of the center. We were only there for 1 night anyway. The parking was really stupid. There were a ton of people there apparently and we ended up parking as far away from a door as you could get. Oh well. Breakfast was pretty good. I would call it slightly better that your average hotel breakfast. Everything seemed clean and modern so I really can't complain.

Overall, we had a pretty good day.

Roadtrip: Day 8: Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City Beach, FL

We only stopped at 1 roadside attraction on our way from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach.
15-foot tall Coca-Cola bottle
152 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL
This one is behind the building. We parked in the parking lot next to strip of buildings and walked behind them to take our picture.

So I had read multiple places online that we should go to Shell Island. So that's what we did. We took the Shell Island Shuttle (which departs from St. Andrews State Park). We were originally planning to snorkel, but they said that it was low visibility while we were there because the current was a little strong, so ended up not doing that. So in the end, in my opinion. It wasn't worth it. We paid over $50 for the 3 of us to take a boat to an island where all we did was sit on a beach. They don't have a lot of shells, we didn't get to snorkel, and you have to pay just to get into the State Park. The whole thing just seemed incredibly unnecessary. If we ever go back, we'll make sure to check the snorkel conditions before wasting our money. Oh well. My son still had the time of his life playing in the water.

Dinner: I was really craving a buffet so we went to Captain Jack's Family Buffet.
8208 Thomas Drive, Panama City, FL
It was stupid expensive ($100 before tip) for the 3 of us, but it was at least delicious and I think my son ate more here than he did anywhere on this whole trip. At least there's that! Plus, our waitress was so friendly and attentive. If you get the chance to eat here, do it during lunch. Unless you're going for the crab legs, lunch is a way better deal.

Hotel: Boardwalk Beach Resort Hotel & Convention Center
9600 S Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach, FL
I wish I could say that this was a great hotel. But honestly, it's not. First off, I just hate any hotel that has 2 double beds instead of 2 queen beds. But beyond that, they allow dogs which means at some point, you're bound to hear some yippee dog barking for a long period of time. It is right on the beach, which is clearly the main draw to the hotel. There is no breakfast. It mostly seemed clean. The door to the bathroom looked like it had been eaten apart by a dog, but for one night, the hotel did it's job in providing a place to stay. There was an abnormally early 10am check-out time, though.

Overall, this was probably my least favorite day of our entire trip. Everything was unimpressive and over-priced.

Disney World Vacation Round Up

Today, I will be sharing with you all the links to my previous posts about our trip to Disney World in October. Hopefully, they will be helpful to you. We had such a great time. It completely baffles me the people that don't have fun at the happiest place on Earth. Go in with the right expectations and all the right information.

Well, here they are! Enjoy!

Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom Day 1
Magic Kingdom Day 2
Epcot
and a special one where we Ate Our Way Around the World!

Again, I hope you find these informative and helpful.

Vacation: Eating our way around the World in Epcot

Then we started our journey to eat ourselves around the world.

Our first stop was New Zealand where we had a lamb meatball with spicy tomato chutney and Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir. The meatball was moist but there was too much chutney and it wasn't very spicy.

Then we went to Mexico where we ate a barbacoa enchilada (corn tortilla filled with beef barbacoa and covered with oaxaca mole). The mole was very spicy. The enchilada was well seasoned.

Then we went to China where we ate chicken pot stickers. The sauce was a little sweet for my taste, but overall, it was good.

Then we went to South Korea where we ate Korean-style BBQ beef with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi. The cucumber kimchi had a very mild taste so even I, who does not like kimchi, enjoyed it. The acid from the kimchi complimented the meat well. The meat was tender and flavorful.

Then we went to Africa where we ate berbere-style beef tenderloin tips with onions, jalapenos, tomato and pap. I don't really like pap. It's bland. The jalapenos made the dish very spicy. It seemed like there wasn't a lot of meat compared to the number of other things in the dish.

Then we went to Germany where we ate an apple strudel with vanilla sauce. It was great. It is exactly what I would expect from any German bakery. It wasn't too sweet like some desserts tend to be.

Then we went to Poland where we ate kielbasa and a potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream. Everything was very flavorful. The kielbasa had good caramelization. The pierogi tasted great. There were just too many onions for the size of dish.

Then we went to Italy where we ate cannolis al cioccolata (chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta). I absolutely adore cannolis. They were so good. We ended up buying 2 because there was no way I splitting one of those small cannolis amongst 4 people.

Then we went to Japan where we ate a spicy sushi roll (tuna and salmon with kazan volcano sauce). I personally did not eat any of it because I don't like sushi, but my mom and husband really seamed to enjoy it. My husband said the sauce wasn't as spicy as he was expecting it to be.

Then we went to Morocco where we ate chocolate baklava (rolled phyllo dough with toasted almonds and dark chocolate sauce). This is one of my husband's favorite dishes. We were not disappointed. It wasn't too sweet. There was good spice to it. I would eat it again.

Then we went to Belgium where we ate beer-braised beef served with smoked gouda mashed potatoes. I love a good mashed potato and these were seriously good. The beef was pretty good too, but I will rant and rave about these potatoes.

Then we went to France where we ate crème brulee caramel chocolat (caramel and chocolate crème brulee topped with caramelized sugar). The chocolate in this dish was a little on the bitter side for me, but I enjoyed it.

Then we went to Scotland where we ate a traditional Scottish lamb stew with neeps and tatties. I don't really like neeps, but the tatties were good. The lamb was tender. We enjoyed it.

Then we went to Canada where we ate a wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle-butter sauce and Neige premiere 'apple ice wine'. My husband had a really large complaint with this one and I have to agree with him. It was too small. The steak was so good. If you go to Le Cellier, order the full-sized portion of this dish. It was that good. The apple ice wine was really good as well. Again, the only complaint was the size. The cup we got was easily 1/3 the size of the glass of wine mom got earlier in the day.

And finally, we went to the Refreshment Port where we ate a croissant doughnut with cinnamon sugar and a pineapple Dole whip soft-serve ice cream. The croissant doughnut was seriously flaky, covered in cinnamon sugar, and amazing to eat. I think my son ate like half of it. I have a major complaint with all the people that write blog posts. I tried the Dole whip and it wasn't good. I didn't love it. I only ate it because I felt like I had to. I don't care how much of a staple it is, don't get it. It was just bad (but that's just my opinion).

Vacation: Epcot

We got to Epcot about 8:15am and they started letting everyone in at 8:45am.

The first thing we did was The Seas with Nemo & Friends over in Future World. You will board your shell and go through the story of Finding Nemo. It was alright. It's a little boring, but still fun.

While we were there, we checked out Bruce's Shark World. My son enjoyed taking the little touch screen quiz and playing in the shark, maze-like area. It's a great photo op with your child inside Bruce's mouth.

Then, to finish this area, we went to Turtle Talk with Crush. That was pretty cool. Owen was the first kid he talked to. Crush taught him how to talk like a turtle. It was great and I'm so glad he wasn't too shy to talk to him. Crush was very entertaining. The kids get to sit up front while the parents sit on benches. The room is really small so clearly you can't fit a ton of people in there. There was no wait when we went, but I can see how it could take a while.

We had a FP+ to Soarin'. It was a very cool ride. I would say the part I liked the least was going through The Land to get to it. That was horrible. There are way too many people there. I love how you're suspended in the air above a huge dome-like screen, sailing through the air all over the world. This experience is so submerssive that they even pump in amazing smells to really take you to all of these locations. When it was all over, my son asked if we went through that screen to get there when we were leaving. It felt so real to him. I say this is a must-ride. We all felt like we were way in the air and it was a little freaky to feel like we could fall out at any moment.

We met Baymax. That was pretty cool. He is an inflatable character and they do such a good job about making him feel like he's the real deal. When he needs to go on a break, he starts to deflate a little and stumble around like he has a low battery just like in the movie.

Our next FP+ was for Spaceship Earth. Even the FP+ line was very long. That was kind of annoying. And to be entirely honest, the ride was boring. I think the big selling point for this ride was that it was inside the ball. That's probably the only thing that made it super cool. You go around in circles hearing about technology throughout history until you reach the top of the ball. Then, you go down backwards back to the bottom of the ball while you create your own possible future.

We had a free FP+ to use on anything except Frozen Ever After, so we chose to use it on Test Track. Designing your own car beforehand is a pretty cool way to get you involved in something while waiting to actually ride the ride. Then, since there are so many people in one car, you go through all these tests and they show you how your car stacked up against everyone else in your car. Clearly, the highlight is when you get to go fast around the track. That was fun.

We had a FP+ for Mission: Space. My husband, son, and I decided to go on the more intense ride rather than the less intense ride that my mom decided to go on. I can tell you for sure that the more intense ride has a longer wait time. It was so much fun though. Everyone gets a job (Navigator, Pilot, Commander, and Engineer). We were only 3 people and my son was very concerned that we would crash if we didn't have an engineer so I ended up hitting the buttons for that job as well as the ones for Commander. My son clearly wanted to be the Pilot. We actually switched places after the jobs were handed out so that he would get this spot. The G-forces are pretty intense so be aware of that when choosing the more intense ride. They're not kidding when they say you may feel disoriented and there is even a barf bag, but we still had a lot of fun.

We made our way over to the World Showcase for our lunch reservation at Akershus Royal Dining Hall. Your reservation time is a joke though. There was a huge line just to check in so it took forever to get through it. Then you stand in another line to be called for your table. Then you stand in another line to get your picture taken with Belle before you are finally escorted to your table. Our server took our order for our main entree course. The first course is an appetizer buffet bar with salads, meats, cheeses, and seafood. There is something for most people. While we were eating our first course, the princesses came out to parade around the dining rooms. The kids were invited to go too. Our son started to go, but then got a little upset. While my husband was trying to get him to get in the parade, their handler asked what was wrong (he thought maybe my son missed his favorite princess). Apparently, my son only saw girls in the parade with the princesses so he thought it was only for girls and he wasn't supposed to be there. Well, the guy took pity on him and let him help collect the baskets at the end of the parade that the princesses carry. It made him feel special and he still got to be a part of something. After my son and husband got back to the table to continue eating, the guy came to check on him and ask if he felt better. He said yes. Then, he came back with a viking helmet for my son from the gift shop in Norway. It was so sweet. They did a great job to make him feel special. He just loved it. And while he didn't want to wear it during the whole lunch, he did insist on putting it on every time a princess came to our table. To eat, I had the Fylt Pasta (house-made potato-cheese and herb ravioli with wild mushrooms, leek cream sauce, tomato jam, and balsamic-onion reduction). It was very tasty. I definitely recommend it. My husband and mom both had the Svinekotelett (char-grilled center cut pork chop with jarlsberg potato gratin and port jus). I tasted it and it was also quite delicious. I know most people go to this restaurant for the princesses, but the food was surprisingly amazing! For dessert, there was a plate to share of rice cream with strawberry sauce, apple cake, and chocolate mousse. All were good. The rice cream was just a little weird for me. It was definitely the texture. I didn't love it. The apple cake was super good. I would love the recipe for this one! Please! And of course you can never go wrong with a good chocolate mousse. Now, for the princesses. We saw Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. They came around one at a time to each table and spent lots of time talking to each child. They were absolutely fantastic. I just love all the characters that they have. They're always so friendly. I mean, I know you have to be a special kind of person to work at Disney World and I am just so thankful that those special people exist to be kind to my sweet little boy.

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros is located at the back of the Mexican Temple. When you enter, go down the left ramp. We made the mistake of going down the right ramp and ended up walking in a large circle. The ride is on a boat and it was pretty entertaining. There is a great atmosphere in the temple. If you're short on time, I say skip it. But if you have the time, it's a cute little ride.
We made a FP+ reservation for the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival even though it was completely unnecessary. There was no line for it. It was cute though. It was nice to sit and watch the 4D shorts. It lasts about 18 minutes. I'm not sure if the ones they show ever change, but there is a sign out front telling you which shorts are being featured. While we were there, we saw 'Get A Horse!', 'La Luna', and 'For The Birds'.

We then waited in a very long line to meet Joy & Sadness. The one biggest problem while we were there was the woman in charge of the line. She really needed to take some pointers from Joy. Seriously. I mean, mostly everyone we encountered at Disney was more than pleasant except for this woman. She seemed very sour. She spent her entire time yelling at everyone. 'Move forward' 'Fill in all available space' (we were told this a lot during lines that got full a lot, but this one was not) 'Don't touch the chains with your hands, mouth, and bodies. They will pinch' 'Don't sit on the ground' I mean seriously? Have you ever met a child? Calm down. Oh well. We had a great time with Joy and Sadness. They were great. They can't talk because they're not face characters, but they really communicated. They made gestures toward my husband's shirt (it had Anger on it). Joy was always dancing around. We just loved it.

We noticed that Frozen Ever After was temporarily closed and there was a line standing outside the doors waiting to re-enter. We decided to go ahead and get in that line. The employees suggested that we not wait, but we of course didn't listen. Our game plan was to have someone stand in line while other parts of our party were elsewhere. At first, I went to the Norway gift shop and then brought Owen with me to take a picture and let him color Duffy. We did that for about 10 minutes. Then, we went back to the line and about 2 minutes later, they opened the doors. It had been closed for about an hour before that so we actually got very lucky. The most annoying part was when we were in the first 100 people in line, but they let so many FP+ people through (most likely the ones that missed their reservation while the ride was closed) that we ended up waiting in line for about 45 minutes. Altogether, we waited about an hour which compared to the 2-3 hour waits that were more likely, we were still very lucky. The line was very well themed and you even get to go through Oaken's Trading Post where you see him in the sauna. The ride itself was adorable. I really enjoyed it. There were scenes from the movie and the short. It was great. Even though we sat in the front, it was only a slight misting that we received so while it might be possible that you'll get wet, it's very unlikely. We really enjoyed the ride.

We also ate our way around the world, but that's a whole different post.
We finally got back to the resort pretty late and pretty much went straight to bed.

Vacation: Magic Kingdom Day 2

Our reservations for the Be Our Guest Breakfast were at 8:30am. When we got to Magic Kingdom, there was a special line off to the far left for people with early morning reservations. We were let in around 7:45am. They didn't care what time our reservation was for as long as it was before the park opened. We were able to take some pictures with not too many people in them. That was great. Just a tip though. To get to Be Our Guest, you will have to go through Cinderella's castle to get to that side of the park. We were not expecting this so we were a little lost for a couple minutes when all the ways to that side of the park were blocked off. We got to our reservation early, but we were let right in. That was nice. We had pre-ordered our food so we got to skip that step. You're allowed to pick your own seat so we chose to go to the west wing. It's definitely the most dramatic room of them all. There is the rose in the corner, the fireplace with the torn portrait over it, and there's even thunder and lightning throughout your meal. The west wing was a little dark (but I think that's the point). Just know that if you plan on taking pictures of your food, you will have a little trouble in this room without using your flash. You get your own drinks (coffee and fountain drinks) and silverware once you choose your table. If you got milk, they bring that with your food. Now to the food. My son got eggs and bacon. The scrambled eggs were very creamy. My husband got the Feast A La Gaston (scrambled eggs, herb-roasted potatoes, apple smoked bacon, chicken sausage, and fruit). The chicken sausage was sweet which was unexpected, but nice. The potatoes were amazing. I got the Croqhe Madame (open-faced ham sandwich topped with a fried egg, gruyere cheese, and bechamel served with fresh fruit). The bechamel was amazing. I wanted to just spread it on everything. The fried egg was over hard which was fine. Overall, everything everyone ordered was really good. Everything is served with a pastry plate for the table. They were amazing. I think we got a croissant, an apple pastry, a chocolate pastry, a mini blueberry muffin, a mini banana nut golden raisin muffin, and a cinnamon roll. Everything that we ate was super good. We definitely didn't leave hungry. That's for sure.

We immediately headed to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train after we left breakfast. That was the best decision we made because we saw the wait time for Standby go up to 210 minutes the day before. We were actually the first people in line by mere seconds! It was amazing. We were walked through the line by an employee to the front (I believe to ensure that everyone actually walked through the line instead of taking shortcuts or running) where we were in the very front of the first car of the day. That ride was fun! I can't say that I would wait 3 hours to ride it, but I am so excited that we did get to enjoy it.

We followed that up with Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Due to the early morning, there was no line. This is a constant loading ride. It was very cute. It felt like a 5-minute Little Mermaid's greatest hits. I really enjoyed it. We didn't really stop in the line because there wasn't one, but had we needed to stop, the line was pretty cool. There were a lot of things to look at.

Right next door, we met Ariel at Her Grotto. This was so cool. I just love that she was in her fins. I mean, I guess Ariel with her legs is okay, but it's so much better to meet her in her fins. She was so nice.

The line at Peter Pan's Flight was interesting. This is definitely one of those instances where Disney really fools you with all the rooms. Every time you think you're at the end of the line, you're wrong. But they do a great job of keeping you entertained with things to look at in these rooms. The ride itself was pretty good. You fly around in a boat looking at all the different scenes you would see in Peter Pan. It was great. It was very dark though.

The Barnstormer was a very very fast ride. And by that, I mean that it felt like it lasted no more than 30 seconds. It was definitely fun while we were on it though. It's a great starter coaster for small kids. We really enjoyed it.

We happened upon the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party by accident. It just so happened to start while we were walking in front of the castle on our way to the other side of the park. I highly recommend it though. We saw Chip n' Dale, Mickey, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, Phineas and Ferb, Baloo and King Louie, and Woody and Jessie. Once they surround the circle in front of the castle, they stop and the characters get down to dance. Then, they invite everyone to come dance with them. I totally suggest going by the Zootopia characters because this is probably the only time you will ever see them. It was a fun little dance break. Keep an eye on your child though because there are a lot of people there and it's easy to get lost in all the chaos.

We had a FP+ for Jungle Cruise so we headed over to it. It was pretty good. Don't try to compare this to Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom. It won't even come close to adding up to it. But for me, that's not the point of this ride. First of all, you're on a boat ride so it's a completely different feel. But second of all, the whole ride is filled with your guide telling horrible, terrible jokes filled with the worst puns I've ever heard. It was great. We loved it. The fake animals looked very cool. Had they been moving, I would have expected them to be real. We enjoyed our time aboard the Amazon Annie visiting jungles all over the world.

Our next FP+ was at the Haunted Mansion. It was a fun little ride with ghosts. Disney does a great job of making these ghosts feel real. I think that's the whole point of this ride. With that being said, don't think that it's scary. It's not funny or silly like I've heard others say, but it's definitely not scary. We really enjoyed the end of the ride when it showed our faces in the 'mirror' as ghosts with our names under them. That was super cool.

We met Anastasia and Drizella in Fantasyland. They were hilarious. They definitely weren't mean. But they were ridiculous. It was great. We really enjoyed them.

We decided to get a snack at Gaston's Tavern. We got a ham and cheese-stuffed pretzel and a chocolate croissant to eat and LeFou's Brew (frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow and topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam) served in a souvenir stein to drink. It was all really tasty and it definitely hit the spot.

We had to stand in line for a while to meet Gaston, but that's okay because his handler, Michael, was very entertaining. Gaston himself was great. He and Owen showed off their muscles for a picture. He was very entertaining.

We went to Mickey's Philharmagic because we had some time to kill and I'm so glad we did. I actually really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend you go to this show. It wasn't all that busy so you should easily find a seat. We didn't have very high hopes for it. I really thought it would be boring, but it turned out to be great. It's about Donald stealing Mickey's magic hat and he ends up going through a bunch of Disney movies trying to get it back. We loved it!

We decided to go shopping at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe where we bought some ornaments. They had a great selection.

Then we decided to get another snack. My husband and I got a turkey leg to share and my mom and son got some Mickey ice cream sandwiches. We all really enjoyed our food and we sat until it was time to go to our last FP+ of the day.

I'm so glad we had a FP+ to Enchanted Tales with Belle. We ended up waiting for 5 minutes before our show. We really ended our day on a high note with this one. There weren't a lot of boys, especially ones that wanted to participate so my son was the lucky one chosen to be the beast and he was absolutely adorable! I'm telling you right now, if you have a son, you want him to be the beast. It's the best role in the whole show. It was so cute, I almost got teary-eyed. If you're child was in the show (if you're child wants to be in it, they can be), you'll get a PhotoPass card to look at the pictures taken during the show.

When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go swimming at the pirate pool one last time. It was fun swimming in the dark with just the pool lights to light our way. Mom and I decided to try out the slide. It was fun! Then we got Dominoes for dinner.