The Florida Adventures of RedPiggy

[newsmanfan]

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Sounds like an absolute blast! I'll have to get back to FL someday soon and check all of that out. Never been to Universal. I like the concept that the park attractions are as much about the ambiance of the films as simple ride-and-trinket-stores; makes it sound much more worth seeing.

Nice pics! Gawd, those tigers... I could watch them all day. So majestic. They must be the most laid-back big cats, too...as long as they have a steady food supply, it's all good in their world. Thank you so much for posting all this! Theme-park-visiting vicariously... Jealous? Me? Nahhhhh.
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[RedPiggy]

I can't really comment on Disney World since I can't even remember the last time we went, but one thing I prefer regarding Universal Studios is the commitment to storytelling. Even roller coasters have a plot (such as HP's Dragon Challenge being part of the overall Triwizard Tournament plot set up before and after). Also, everyone is always so nice. Even staff members who look like they would rather be asleep aren't that irritable, LOL. Combine that with staying in a hotel on location so you can use your hotel key as a fast pass through lines or having all the stuff you just bought delivered to your room the next day so you don't have to lug it all around and you have an excellent vacation.

 

[The Count]

Heh, that's why if I ever get to go back to WDW, I'd choose to stay at the Grand Continental Hotel cause it has a direct monorail hub inside their lobby to take you straight to the park gates area.

 

[kyunkyua]

I can't really comment on Disney World since I can't even remember the last time we went, but one thing I prefer regarding Universal Studios is the commitment to storytelling. Even roller coasters have a plot (such as HP's Dragon Challenge being part of the overall Triwizard Tournament plot set up before and after). Also, everyone is always so nice. Even staff members who look like they would rather be asleep aren't that irritable, LOL. Combine that with staying in a hotel on location so you can use your hotel key as a fast pass through lines or having all the stuff you just bought delivered to your room the next day so you don't have to lug it all around and you have an excellent vacation.

...But...those are the exact same redeeming qualities that Disney World has...
Don't take me too seriously, though. My Disney park fangirling can't not be biased.
Never been anywhere else in Orlando other than the McDonald's and the beach, anyway. And those felt pretty underwhelming to me.

 

[dwmckim]

Fortunately, for 5 bucks you can enter a people dryer

For some odd reason, i find this idea insanely entertaining!

 

[RedPiggy]

For some odd reason, i find this idea insanely entertaining!

LOL, and they (mostly) work, too! Here is some more photos on my album. We didn't take as many this time, even though we spent 9 hours at Universal Studios -- because I'm a complete moron and forgot to get the memory card out of the laptop and back in the camera. Sheesh...

We went to Shrek 4D first. It was entertaining as always. At least this time it didn't send some poor grandmother into shock when Shrek and Donkey spill some spiders and air jets give you the heebie jeebies under your seat.

We went to the little Twister prop show. It's decent enough.

The Mummy ride still rules for being such an awesome mind you-know-what, LOL. They also have a great merchandise selection. If you can't go to Egypt, consider this place instead.

Jaws is no longer an option. I suspect that it will be London, as in according to a Universal staff member a train will lead you from some Harry Potter-related thing there to the Harry Potter thing in Islands of Adventure (good, 'cause it's way too short as is). So, my guess is the Universal side will be a Muggle atmosphere and the Island of Adventure will be the Wizard side. Time will tell, and naturally when they get that built we shall verily return, LOL.

They turned that Earthquake movie-related prop show into a general disaster movie, but they made the director some guy named Kincade, played by none other than awesomeness Christopher Walken, brought to you by the power of that really cool hologram technology. We actually had to move our heads a bit to realize he wasn't really there. It was really well done, despite the lame part of the ride, which they transformed into a movie trailer with audience members as extras which was absolutely hilarious.

Back to the Future was replaced by the Simpsons ride, which is basically you are in Krustyland and Sideshow Bob wants to kill Krusty and hilarity ensues. I loved BTTF, I swear to God, but the Simpsons is better. At least we took pics of the Delorean and Doc's train, which was placed elsewhere in the park.

Dude, I am not kidding ... we WON at the MIB ride! *loud applause, please*

You don't understand: my brother and I went to that ride like 2 or 3 times last time and we never could win that stupid (yet extremely fun) game-slash-ride. We've been really depressed over that, LOL. But on our second try today, even without three other people in our car -- we actually won! We won! We won! It helped that I landed a 1ooK bonus for shooting the big bug at the end. I can't stand myself I'm so elated!

My brother demanded I go on this huge, evil coaster called the Rocket or something.

He ... OWES ... me.

Anyway, tomorrow is Marvel over at Islands of Adventure. Maybe I can find a good Phoenix costume or something. That'd be sweet. <3

edit:
How could I forget Beetlejuice? The Ghost with the Most was still entertaining at his concert with other Universal Monsters, whom he possesses and makes them into rock stars. I enjoyed when Wolfman and Dracula started fighting over the Bride of Frankenstein and BJ snarked to the audience that "this will be as lame as Twilight". LOL.

 

[The Count]

Sorry... But nothing will replace the BTTF ride in my memories of when my family went there back in 1991. The best thing about it? If you sat up front, you'd get the rushing coolth of the airjet when the ride car took off and landed again.

Kelly as Phoenix? Rawor!

BJ's Rock & Review is still going on? I misses the excellent fanfiction about that extra venue show posted by ExpensivePizza over on fanfiction.net before she took it and all her stories down.

Enjoy yourself in Marvel-Land. *Is concerned that you might end up being cloned into an evil Madeline Prior/Goblin Queen version.

 

[RedPiggy]

Hey, LOOK HERE!

*sigh*

Today is the last day of my vacation.

Okay, technically I'm off for another week, but we go to the airport tomorrow morning to return to Texas.

My brother and I went on the Hulk ride. We opted out on the Doctor Doom Fear Fall. That left the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman ride, which was upgraded with HD 3D. To be honest, I couldn't tell, but then again, I haven't been to it in 7 years.

That left shopping (we had to have breakfast at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade 'cause they're the only ones who serve breakfast). I didn't find any good Phoenix stuff, but I managed to score some tradebacks of Astonishing X-Men that I couldn't find at home, so yay me. That puts me up to Issue 23 or something.

A part of me hates to leave, but I miss my Lab babies. I've had dreams that they miss us, and I feel in my heart Sarah is blaming Bear for our long absence, LOL. Thanks to all my peeps who tuned in while I bragged about how awesome our vacation was. It was something we really needed. I feel so refreshed and mellow now (of course, don't wake me up at 7am when the park doesn't open until 830 or 9 because then I'm somewhat grouchy, LOL).

 

[newsmanfan]

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The whole deal looks amazingly fun. Hope you didn't sunburn! Are the pups all happy to have you home? (I know...DUH. But it's always nice to have a happy animal around after a long trip, even a good one.)

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[RedPiggy]

I did get roasted the first day, but that's how I decided to buy my floppy hat, LOL. Oh, and our babies were super happy to see us. They've currently been guilt-tripping us a lot, begging for attention far more often. It works, of course, LOL.