A Very Angelic Christmas

[ANGEL]

Day 6

21st December 2001

Universal, Disney Quest & Lord of the Rings

Up at 6.30 writing up some notes for yesterday, sat in my little ‘nest’, so nice and cosy.  Dragging Becky our of bed is quite another thing! Decides to have a very lone bath so at 9 am she’s still not ready….Alison & Shaun, beware what will happen those sweet little girls of yours! ;)  Eventually on our way at 9.30 and arrive just after as we are just minutes from Universal.  Have to pay for parking this first visit but we are assured we will get our money back once we activate our passes in the park…..good!  

Park as far away as we possible can, in ‘Jaws’ and walk the 27 miles to the USF entrance.  Well, it seems that far anyway!  We look fort eh Vacation Services counter at the entrance before we are told its actually inside the park, so in we go, showing our AP vouchers, get a cursory glance by security at our bags and off the desk at the left side of the entrance.  There’s only one person in front of us here which is good (didn’t actually realise it only opened as we arrived anyway!) and I fill out a form for the family, and then we all get to have our photos taken for our plastic passes.  Grim pictures, we all look like convicts!!  Becky bans us from ever showing anyone hers…..there’s a good bargaining tool then!;)  We are handed a leaflet with the benefits available…wow! You get a lot for the measly $99 we paid…..discounts in the shops, café’s, restaurants and hotels!  Go and get our parking money back over the other side of the entrance (that makes sense!!) and we’re ready to rock n roll…

….Well, nearly, we must eat first!  The patisserie near the entrance is our choice for a quick breakfast.  They do such lovely pastries and sandwiches here.  We sit in the sun and share a pastry, cookie and enormous club sandwich, and drinks (cost of $16) and then Vince goes to leave our sweaters in a locker as it doesn’t look like we’ll be needing them just yet.

Decide we want to do those bits of Universal we haven’t tried before so our first all is to the Horror make Up Show….what a laugh this is.  We thoroughly enjoyed it, and although the show was about 45 mins it went really quickly.  Its very hammy in places, but the guy doing it, Mark James, was English and a lot of the humour was very British, we found.  Especially the ‘toilet’ humour!  It’s a very clever performance…DON’T volunteer!!

Looked around in the shops and bought a lovely glass angel (of course) for my Christmas tree, which with my AP discount was only $3!  Saw Scoobydoo and Chucky from Rugrats but Becky’s not impressed these days I’m afraid…I am coz I still like Scooby!  Express pass for ET, although we have trouble with our passes in the machines.  The CM explains that some of the plastic passes don’t always work properly so just gives us the three passes (we find this happens most of the day).  Off to MiB where the CM does the same, and we then get in stand by line as the wait is quite short.  This is such a brilliant ride.  I could do this all day and not tire of it I think.  It seems different every time you ride it. Low score so I must do better next time. Then we get to use our EP straight away and this time we walk straight in and on to the ride and its just us in the car.  We all score really well and we are MiB agents….must be those dark glasses that does it!  Yeah!!! Manage to leave my glasses in the ride but luckily they are handed in….phew!!!

Its really hotting up now (the weather that is) and we head off to ET to use our EP before it expires.  There are film cameras following a CM all over the place outside the entrance to this, looks they are just filming him, which is great but means he’s not actually paying much attention to his job.  We enter and get all mixed up with the stand by queue, not knowing we should have been able to bypass the rest….grrr! End up behind the queue, so that’s a waste of time!  Don’t even hear our names ‘thanked’ by ET….that’s a shame.  Mind you, I still enjoyed the ride, I love the sensation of ‘flying’ over the countryside and across the moon!  Managed to save Ets home planet again so that was a result anyway;)

Off to back to the Future while we are round this way, passes don’t work again so Cm just lets us straight in to the Express lane and we go straight to the ride start.  As we go to step in to the car 2 women try to push past us into the front of the car…I don’t think so….I can elbow my way with the best of them I’m afraid. I much prefer the front of the ride.  It seems much more real to me.  Manage to get the car back safely, past the dinosaurs and other dangers;)

Walk straight on to Jaws..its so quiet everywhere! This is a first as the queue is normally horrendous here.  We had a really good CM here who made the ride great fun, and even though we’ve done this countless times it seemed much better. His name was George, watch out for him!;)  Out on the water it was really hot and when we got splashed it was actually quite a relief!  Becky always points out the ‘hot dog’ smell when the shark is shot….strange girl!  I’m sure those flames get hotter every time though!

Sit by the lake in Lombards Landing, round the back where its really quiet.  It really doesn’t feel like you’re in a theme park….a job well done.  The gulls fly down for food, and apart from the blasted Christmas songs (heard Britney and Jlo over and over again) it was quite perfect.  Frozen lemonades (not margerita you notice) for us girls, and a bowl of nachos & cheese, and beer and a hot dog for Vince and we’re all set.  Its really hot by now, amazing for December.

Take a walk around the streets and spot Beetlejuice sitting having a chat to the Phantom of the Opera…how bizarre!!!!   The Beetlejuice character is brilliant and just like the film.  DH says the best bit though is when I’m standing watching him, and all of a sudden I wonder who’s hairy hand it is around my shoulder as I realise Vince is standing over the other side of the street!!!!!!!  As I turn round and let out a scream, I realise it’s a werewolf….oh, of course it is!!!  Much amusement all round…oh, ha ha very funny!  Jumped a mile!  He stays very much in character (without too much howling) and lopes off to find another victim…..watch out for him!;)

Take a look at the beautiful Christmas tree and the decorations, which look even more strange now the weather is so wonderful. I think USF seem have made more of an effort somehow with their decorations and theming, but that’s just my opinion.  The atmosphere is wonderful here and it really is a favourite with all of us.

Off to do The Hitchcock Show, hope its not too scary!  This was our only queue of the day!  It was great and very interesting.  His methods were explained, how they got the special effects, using volunteers from the audience.  Vince and Becky especially enjoyed the 3D bit, from Birds, but I must say this film has always scared the life out of me and I had to take the glasses off!! I know, what a wuss;) It was all very clever and we spent ages in there after the show wandering around looking at all the exhibits.  Then it was off to Terminator, again no queue, what an amazing attraction this is…..like Spiderman at IoA, you can’t call it a show…..how do you describe it?  Part show, part film, live action and 3D…great for all ages.  And as the man said….”Every seat’s a good seat!”

After another wander round some of the shops we decide to call it a day, we don’t need to cram too much in as we have the amazing Aps after all!;)  Walk past Hard Rock café and decide to try for a PS for 26th in case its busy that day.  Apparently the only way you can get a ps is on line so we use the computer they have there to book it…..seems a rather strange idea but there you go!  All done, walk round the lake and back to the car.

Its late afternoon by now and we head for Downtown Disney as I just can’t wait to try Disney Quest.  I’ve wanted to do this on every trip but never seemed to fit it in somehow which is a pain as it would have been included in our UMP before…oh well!

Loved DQ……..go if you can!  We were all thirsty when we arrived so headed straight for The Cheesecake Factory where DH went off to buy drinks while I found a booth with a computer free….yippee…..I can check the boards, I know this from Stu and all the other Dis-ers who have used it..thanks!  DD is fed up coz she can’t check her hot mail..oh well, never mind, more time for me on the Dis then!  Lovely coffee here, and try the chocolate mousse…yum!

It’s a strange building and we found it hard to find our way around, with lots of little corridors and rooms all over the place, but there is loads to do.  We made a loads of strange looking toys on a computer (you can actually have them made up too), morphed our faces into all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes on another pc.  Tried to persuade DH & DD to make their own CD but there was a quite a q for this. Shame!  We all wantede to try the animation class which runs every hour so noted the time of the next one and went off to findthe Aladdin simulator.  For this you wear funny helmets and sit astride what looks a bit like a motor bike seat, and you then feel like you are actually flying on the magic carpet …its incredible but poor Vince suddenly felt really sick and had to bow out.  He’s never had motion sickness before but this time he turned really green….no more magic carpets for you then!!;)  Then it was back to the animation class where we each settled at a desk with a screen and prepared to learn how to draw Goofy from an expert.  If you have any interest in animation (its what Becky wants to do) you’ll love it.  It takes 45 mins so probably isn’t for small squirmy children (or adults!) but is fascinating.  You ‘draw’ onto a screen and the result looked quite impressive when we finished (have to say, Beckys was the best!)  You can actually buy the picture from it at the end.  I could have spent all day just doing this.

Vince still felt a bit groggy so he went off to find a seat while DD and I decided we’d try the Jungle Cruise.  What a hoot!! We sat in a dinghy with oars with wheels on them (!).  The ‘boat’ was on top of a sort of trampoline, and all around was a screen and when it started we really felt like we were in a boat on a fast moving river! We were supposed to keep our feet in the ‘stirrups’ provided but it was very hard.  If any of you were there that night and were watching 2 ridiculous maniac Brits in hysterics…it was us!! We were laughing so much we ended up falling out the boat and then I could n’t get back in as it was still moving and I was almost crying with laughter…honestly…best laugh we had !!!  Sad aren’t we? !!;)

Then we took Vince off to try The Alien Simulator ride.  Becky decided to be pilot, good choice as I’d have no idea!  Vince and I were the front and rear gunners.  This is incredible and great fun, you really feel like you’re there! Yet again we saved , if not the planet, a whole load of our fellow men, and nailed those slimy aliens!  Even managed to make it back safely home afterwards…good flying Becky!

Unfortunately Vince felt sick again after this, so be warned anyone who does suffer from motion sickness!  

Forgot to say, we’d nipped in to the cinema and bought tickets for Lord of the Rings before we entered DQ so now it was time for our showing.  Quickly bought hot dogs and buckets (wish we’d only asked for one) of coke.  What a fantastic film!! Such a shame it was so late a show (started at 9.30) as Becky fell asleep before the end.  She wasn’t the only one as I could hear a bloke at the end snoring very loudly!!  Don’t know how, I was riveted all the way through…loved it!

Almost had to carry Becky back to the car and didn’t reach hotel til 12.45pm.  No early start tomorrow then? Theres a surprise!  It was a great end to a lovely day thoughJ

Tomorrow must be a shopping day…we need our fix!!!!

[Guest]

We want to try Disney Quest  .
sounds good fun

[ANGEL]

Anita, Todd would LOVE it!! .

[Guest]

Angel

We had drinks and nachos and cheese, fries and mayo on Lombards Landing USF and you just took me back... thanks.  Got a nice picture of dd in little lemon dress sitting cross legged on the barrels eating her fries.  Never done the Make Up Show thingie that's a must do now.

Love ET, the same bit flying over the countryside.

Will take Ellen to DQ this year she will be 10 and half by October. Last time she was 7 and I thought she may be too young. Mind you, mother loves Dreamcast and PS2 .  .  Probably be a good night out for us.

Deb

[Guest]

Angel

We had drinks and nachos and cheese, fries and mayo on Lombards Landing USF and you just took me back... thanks.  Got a nice picture of dd in little lemon dress sitting cross legged on the barrels eating her fries.  Never done the Make Up Show thingie that's a must do now.

Love ET, the same bit flying over the countryside.

Will take Ellen to DQ this year she will be 10 and half by October. Last time she was 7 and I thought she may be too young. Mind you, mother loves Dreamcast and PS2 .  .  Probably be a good night out for us.

Deb