Triple Treat Tour July 2016 Day 17 Studios, NBC Grill , Hard Rock and Panda Express

[WileyCoyote]

The day before is HERE

Tuesday 19 July

Today we are off to Universal

We got up around 8 and spend an hour doing the final round of the villa, stripping the beds, putting laundry on etc and organising all the cases , including squashing all the bits of hand luggage into one case to make it less hassle when we get to Universal

We were out and saying Goodbye to Indian Creek at 0845







There was of course , traffic




Volcano Bay coming along nicely !








We arrived here just after 0930







Just “ a few” luggage items



We got checked in , no rooms ready, but we soon sorted our express passes and I nipped to the ladies

Do people really sit around chatting in here?



They have changed the artwork around reception





It was all really quick and within 20 minutes we are headed out to the water taxi











I think this may be my all time favourite sign – it just makes me smile



Just as we are passing the NBC Grill I realise I have left the tickets in one of the other bags at the hotel

Uh oh

Andy takes one for the team and heads back while we wait for him , watching small armies of tour groups streaming into the Studios …. Just where we are heading . I remember making some remark about not getting stuck behind them in the park

Andy is back by 1045 and we are off

Poor Bitcoin Billy has a nightmare, it will not recognise his AP and we don’t have a passport to prove his ID – after a bazillion attempts they just re set it so he scan his finger print – why not do that earlier we wonder …….

And so we are in amidst the hordes – definitely much busier than we visit in August

The wait for the Minion ride was 100 minutes and the express pass line didn’t look that much shorter !



The teens went off to RRR, I took up my role of chief gadget and wallet minder







Yes, this lot had beaten us to it



Well, some of them …



Andy and I shared one of these



I wonder what this will be like



Across to the Mummy at 1130 and off in 20 minutes



I had forgotten how jerky it was but still good fun – I enjoyed it

Never too early for Christmas

[WileyCoyote]

We split up from the teens at this point – we stopped to watch this drumming/dance group





We had a brief wander into Diagon Alley but it was rammed



So we walked over to the fountain near the knight bus and sat listening to Stanley and the Shrunken Head – it was so funny, the amount of people that the head would comment on who passed by blissfully unaware, it was hilarious.













I popped in to the ladies and emerged about a week later – yup, I managed to get myself behind a tour group - who seemed incapable of exiting the ladies once finished.

It was all hair swishing and face pouting – seriously that flicking of long hair in other people’s faces while you are prancing about in front of the mirror – its completely annoying. :angry:

I may have tutted quite a lot.

We wanted to go on MiB but it wasn’t working so I insisted that we had a go on Hurl and Twirl





It started to spit a little with rain and we went over to the Bar opposite Moe’s



But it soon passed

We had agreed to meet the teens between 1 and 1.30 at the NBC Grill but as we were just mooching around we decided to head over early and have a drink

We had eaten here a few years ago when it was the NASCAR bar and the food was very average on that trip. But the chaps love a sports bar and I have to confess I did enjoy watching the Tour de France as well , I've missed seeing it with being away.

We timed it perfectly arriving about 15 minutes before one of those biblical downpours when it suddenly got very busy

You know, like this







We wondered if the teens were getting soaked or not ..

I had a raspberry Julie cocktail





We shared deep fried cheese curds while waiting for the teens to arrive



Nomtastic.

Then Jamie appeared out of no where – they had ben sitting round the corner for the last 15 minutes so had avoided the rain but were looking out the window for us !

Andy and I chose sliders from the Appetiser menu . I went for beef, he chose chicken . Both delicious, but mine were the best !







You can see Connor's grilled chicken sandwich in that pic as well



Jamie chose medium hot chicken wings .. Eek goodness knows what the hot ones were like !




Wow, it was all delicious. New family favourite.

Really reasonable bill at $120, considering $40 was for alcohol !



So good we went back on our last day

[WileyCoyote]

WE had a text to say the room was ready and it had stopped raining so we headed back – we thought both rooms were ready but only ours . Andy had a Dad grump as the kids wanted to lounge around and I think he wanted a kip !

So we took all the luggage up to our room , had a quick look around and then sat in the lounge waiting for their room to be ready – it was only going to be 45 minutes or so









Their room was ready by 3.30 so once the teens were installed, everyone was happy and we agree to meet up at 5 for appetisers and drinks in the Club lounge

BBQ Chicken Skewers



Cheese ‘n’ bix



Mac ‘n’ cheese bites





I liked the skewers but the mac’n’cheese bites = bleurgh, they didn’t work for me .

It was very busy in the lounge – bit of a feeding frenzy at 5 and then it calmed down.

Fab service though, ever so quick on the re fills – slurp

We headed back to the park around 6pm





It was much more civilised

We hopped on to Transformers



The teens were behind some girls who screamed the whole way round – lol, they were massively un impressed

We showed Nick Diagon Alley and arrived just as the Dragon did its thing




The wait time for Gringotts said 30 mins which turned out to be a big fat fib.

The teens went on via single rider which took 45 minutes and Jamie was messaging a friend from school who was apparently in the standby queue ( it really IS a small world) and said friend had been there 30 minutes before they arrived !

We had a look round as it started to get darker









The park was fun all lit up – the teens said they much preferred it in the evening



We managed to get on MiB and I am afraid I was thoroughly whopped by everyone else in the car – dismal fail . Good fun though as always.

Then over to Simpsons Land



Nick and Jamie went off to do RRR in the dark and we headed off to Despicable Me – they didn’t get on in the end as there was a huge queue – we only waited 10 minutes for the Minion ride

I had the most uncomfortable ride on that - I was sat on the end and got thrown around more than I had remembered before .

By now everyone was a little tired and a bit hungry so we headed to Panda Express – along with the rest of the park – the queue was out the door – no , really, it was out the door.

But we stuck it out

And then hotfooted it to the water taxi, which was waiting , and took it back to the hotel


And it was yummy. We all had double orange chicken with rice, except Andy who had some shrimp as well

$37 for 4 meals





So good it's just plain wrong !

We made the fatal mistake of starting to watch Mr Robot – we had seen it heavily advertised while we had been in New York. It was really dark and creepy but we couldn’t turn it off .. not so good when we are up early tomorrow to conquer Kong !

the next day is HERE

[Floridaagogo]

Amazing day.trying to pluck up the courage to ride rip ride rock it in October 😳

[disneywiseowl]

Just caught up again on your trippie. Kept me entertained whilst I wait as usual for my daughters to wake up( they're in their 30s btw) so don't assume things will change when the teenage years end.

We're moving onto NYC today & I'd really like to get there before the Hurricane

We were at Universal the week before you & it wasn't as busy as you found. With the express pass, we were straight onto most rides (but we avoid the afternoons). Maybe it was quieter because it was Independence Day week & people/locals stay away?

I love the relaxed days you have. Made me realise just how much we 'Rush about' in Orlando, trying to fit everything in & we don't even go to DW anymore. I've never shopped in Tommy Hillfiger but after seeing your photos, will def go next visit. Which location do you think is best?

Re MIB: I think you should secretly look up some tips & surprise the boys next time. I'm quite good, usually get 450:550k (but not modest ) my eldest is better. Funny moment- she was next to an American mom, teenage sons behind. She got around 650k & at the end of the ride, the mom turned round to her kids & said "when the Zombie Apocalypse arrives, I'm leaving you kids & going with her"

[Milner]

Great day, loved our stay at HRH going to do it again next year.

[Redrach1903]

Another great day! I never understand why the queue for Minions is always so out of control! Its not even that good! I wonder if its just cos its the first ride you stumble upon!

Love the shrunken head! Too funny!

NBC looked great! xx

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by Floridaagogo

Amazing day.trying to pluck up the courage to ride rip ride rock it in October 😳

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Ooh, braver than me !

Originally Posted by disneywiseowl

Just caught up again on your trippie. Kept me entertained whilst I wait as usual for my daughters to wake up( they're in their 30s btw) so don't assume things will change when the teenage years end.

We're moving onto NYC today & I'd really like to get there before the Hurricane

We were at Universal the week before you & it wasn't as busy as you found. With the express pass, we were straight onto most rides (but we avoid the afternoons). Maybe it was quieter because it was Independence Day week & people/locals stay away?

I love the relaxed days you have. Made me realise just how much we 'Rush about' in Orlando, trying to fit everything in & we don't even go to DW anymore. I've never shopped in Tommy Hillfiger but after seeing your photos, will def go next visit. Which location do you think is best?

Re MIB: I think you should secretly look up some tips & surprise the boys next time. I'm quite good, usually get 450:550k (but not modest ) my eldest is better. Funny moment- she was next to an American mom, teenage sons behind. She got around 650k & at the end of the ride, the mom turned round to her kids & said "when the Zombie Apocalypse arrives, I'm leaving you kids & going with her"

See more...

Ah, enjoy the next part of your hols. We felt much more relaxed this holiday and didn't feel bad about days doing nothing. We enjoyed them. I guess that's the great thing about having been before, not needing to " do it all". Plus the boys like Disney, but don't love it, so are not that fussed about fitting it in . Helps with time and cost !

Mib tips, all gratefully received

Originally Posted by Milner

Great day, loved our stay at HRH going to do it again next year.

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Fab, we really like it there.

Originally Posted by Redrach1903

Another great day! I never understand why the queue for Minions is always so out of control! Its not even that good! I wonder if its just cos its the first ride you stumble upon!

Love the shrunken head! Too funny!

NBC looked great! xx

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Yeah , I agree about minion wait time. Bonkers.

It was so nice having our own little comedy show. A guy in an orange tee shirt went past and the head made some comment about too much pumpkin juice which was hilarious , the chap had no idea.

NBC was a hit for us

[collybird]

Oh that meal looks fantastic, especially those cheese curds!

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by collybird

Oh that meal looks fantastic, especially those cheese curds!

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We thought the food at NBC was really good.