Bovrils adventures in Orlando -Day Five

[Bovril]

Day five, or show me the way to go home……….


We has decided to forgo the planned shopping, for a day at U.S as we had been reliably informed by the rep that the parks would be swamped the next week due to spring break.

There was a notice in reception about a star shuttle, which ran to all the Flexi-ticket venues with the exception of BG, and it was free,  so with my tendency to like all things free we decided to give it a whirl. It left the hotel at 8.05 and then we had a tour of all the hotels on I-drive, hang on, we’re going the opposite direction to U.S, we made a sight! detour to Sea world before heading up to U.S.

Arrived at Universal just on opening it was so quiet, spooky really I’ve always fanaticised about having a park to myself but it’s really weird, no atmosphere at all. The park operates a staggered opening; the back didn’t open until 10.30 so much for my plan of starting at the back and working our way forward.

We walked straight on to ET, gave our names and despite being told by the lady at the ‘passport control’ oh good I like short names I came off rechristened as Berry much to the amusement of V, it’s a strange ride I have heard it described as IASWAA on acid and I now know what they mean! Next stop MIB wow what a ride absolutely loved this, had a pathetic score, I spent all my time looking at what was going on instead of shooting it, came off and got a express pass for later, we had walked on but by the time we left, the standby line was 45 mins.

Over to Jaws, another walk on, don’t know what I was expecting, but came off rather disappointed, we decided to ride it again later just to see if it was the fact that there were so few of us on the boat which made the ride seem a bit flat or if it was the particular boat captain. It was getting really hot and the park was starting to fill up, V wanted a break but I egged her on thinking that we may as well take full advantage of the walk ons while we could (wicked mother) .we had a 10min wait for Kongfrontation, which I loved but V announced was lame, ungrateful child! Then up to Earthquake, another hit with me and miss with V, I was getting a bit stressed at this point, as she seemed so unimpressed with everything. Lunchtime I think! I need a drink and to chill out for a bit.

Lunch at Louie’s, it was an Italian counter service place with the oldest server I have ever seen, poor duck had a memory problem and was unable to retain the orders for more than 30 seconds, not a good trait, she kept asking what we had ordered and after the 10th time still got it wrong! The queue was building up behind us quite spectacularly, we received half of our order and half of the person behind, muddle sorted by the manager and the server taken away for a long sit down away from customers, it was a really nice meal, plenty of it and even better~ it was free due to the long wait and mix up, oh I like the customer service here.

Lunch over and V good humour returned, I learned a lesson don’t try to push the child when she wants to stop.

Spent the afternoon just mooching, looking at all the themeing, the park was decorated for the Mardi- Gras, it had really filled up so we were glad that we had hit the ‘must do’ rides. The sun was really hot and we looked for things to do in the shade, Pets’ show was good but a bit short. Tried Jaws again much better this time, definitely the lack of people made a difference the first time.

About 7.30 park fatigue set in and we decided to head back to the hotel, the shuttle was advertised to leave at 8.25 so we thought we’d go to the stop and have a sit down and wait where we had been told that it left from. At 8.15 a bus turned up with a big letter B on the front, oh this one’s ours it’s a bit early, we may as well sit on it until it goes, so on we trooped. Is this going to QII? I asked the driver,’ ‘yep’ he replied, oh good sit back and we will be back at the hotel soon. That’s funny he’s left early, strange, that’s one thing I had noticed with the public transport it tended to leave right on time

After about 10 mins I hadn’t seen one hotel that I recognised, ‘mum are we on the right bus?’ asked V, I’ll go and check, there were two other passengers querying their whereabouts, they were told that they were on the wrong bus and the driver dropped them off at the trolley stop, after checking for a second time that we were on the correct bus, off we went again, fewer and fewer passengers remained, then there were two just V and me.

This is the last hotel, ‘You’ll have to get off here’ the driver informed us,’ but we are nowhere near the QII’ I exclaimed, ‘don’t go there, this is a route A bus’ he replied ‘but I checked with you’,’ no you didn’t, ‘it says A on the inside of the door’,
‘But it says B on the front’ I said, this was getting like a you’ve been framed episode- where’s the camera?
Where are we? It was completely pitch black and I had no idea of our whereabouts, I’m not getting off this bus, it’s 11pm and we are two unaccompanied females, after a few! words the driver said he would drop us at a trolley stop, V was getting very upset and I was pretty steamed up. He stopped the bus and pointed to a trolley sign, with a parting ‘you should have got off with those other two at the trolley stop’ remark, he drove off into the night.

I have never been so pleased to get off a bus before, and was shaking with nerves and rage, turned round and behind us was…Universal ahhhhhhhhhh!!! We had been sat on a bus nearly 3 hours to end up at the place we had started, it was cold but the rage kept me warm.:mad

Then out of the darkness drew up a trolley, back to the hotel in 15 mins, boy the place never looked so good. What had been a really nice day had been completely ruined. But never mind tomorrow is another day, and we got to see some parts of Orlando that we had never seen, not in a way I would have chosen but still.

Just as we were drifting off to sleep a little voice said ‘Mum, don’t ask me to use that shuttle home ever again’

Fair enough, dear daughter, sleep well

Tomorrow-Day Six, hello to Sea world again
.

[Carole]

What a shame to have such a great day ruined by one ignorant driver .

[Astrid]

Oh Bev - I remember you telling me the bus tale - what a disaster!!  Glad you kept your cool though.

Poor old dear at the US food place, mind you, a freebie meal makes it somehow worthwhile doesn't it!

Astrid x

[Guest]

On reading your shenanigans with that grrr bus driver again - Oh deary me. Still, sounds you had a good day at Universal, anyway.

Off to read the next instalment.

Love to you and Vick

Pete

[AlisonB]

Oh dear - not a good end to the day then. What an idiot of a bus driver!

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about your dreadful bus ride  .
glad to see you enjoyed your free meal even if you did have to wait  .

[CarolynU]

What a horrible guy. I wonder how he'd like it if someone did the same to him ! I bet you were steaming. Glad to hear you finally got home safely. Carolyn

[Tartan Tigger]

Sorry to hear about your bus nightmare. I had a similar experience in San Francisco when the cable cars broke down and they laid on buses. The one we got on went so far, stopped and the driver turned and said I dont go any further and put everyone off .  It was scary.