Universal Studios - The Agony and the Ecstasy

Full disclosure:  I spent about 4 years living in Southern California in the late ‘70’s.  We had many visitors while we were there, and my stay included a number of trips to several of the nearby attractions including Disneyland, Sea World, and Knott’s Berry Farm as well as Universal Studios.  I loved them all.  I have many, MANY pleasant memories of those times, and they form the basis of what I consider good form in a tourist attraction.  It should be noted that any preconceived ideas I have about that business, are based on the California attractions and NOT the humongous, bloated Florida versions of the same attractions.

Of course, prices have risen considerably on everything over the years,  but JEEPERS CREEPERS, I wish my income had grown in proportion with admission prices! I had checked it out online beforehand, so there were no surprises there, but let me just say this ... the “Meal Deal” they offer once you get inside that sounds like such a good idea … isn’t.

The trip to Florida came about because Mommo and I are both huge Harry Potter Fans.  The very first words out of my mouth when I finished that first book were “I want to go to Hogwarts!”  When we first heard they were building the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal, we decided then and there that we were going when it opened.  We planned our trip for the week after school started here, and then chose a weekday rather than the weekend for our adventure, thinking that the crowds would have thinned out somewhat.  Apparently they didn’t get the memo.

The Harry Potter section was as far away from the Universal entrance as you could get.  After walking about halfway back we had to stand in a line winding its ways through other sections of the Adventure Islands.  There were so many people in the area we wanted to see that some of them had to leave before they could admit any more.  It was hot, and it was painfully slow.  It took a couple of hours just to get in the fairly small area that had just 3 rides and a couple of shops.

I wish I had more pictures to share with you.  I really didn’t get many because it was just too crowded in the shops.  There were some neat displays that would have made for good pictures but it was literally wall to wall people and you couldn’t move.  I really can’t say I would have purchased the souvenirs (if I could get at them) because those that I did get a good look at were all just plastic, disappointing in the extreme.

Two of the three rides were metal roller coasters, one bigger, one smaller.  Hagrid’s Hut was near the smaller one.

The major attraction was the castle, of course.

This is the ride that gets all the press.  It was another 90 minute wait, and they wouldn’t let me bring in my camera!  They said I had to put it in a locker, that it might clunk me in the head if they let me take it in.  ALL the cool things that I wanted to take pictures of were in the castle.  I was heartbroken.  They said that if I really wanted to, after the ride I could collect my camera and do a walk through, but after all that I was NOT going to wait in that line again!  Besides, for the most part it was pretty dark in there and much of it was moving, so I don’t think many pictures would have come out anyways.  Besides, we were STARVING by the time we got out of there, and the places we could eat at with our meal tickets were outside in another section.

Despite all my whining, I will say this about that attraction … it was all that and a bag of chips!  Barbecue … with change!  There were strange plants in the Herbarium (which the line passed through on the way into the castle).  There were the talking portraits and a visit from Professor Dumbledore, both very well done and realistic.  And the ride itself was just fabulous.  There were CGI screens all around you and it DID actually feel as if you were riding a broomstick with Harry.  I was indeed impressed!

Outside of the Harry Potter area, we waited an hour and a half for a hamburger (I don’t even want to go there). On one of the other Islands of Adventure (I think is was Superheroes), the Spiderman ride was equally impressive.  Other than that we went on a couple of water rides (which are fun, but basically the same everywhere) and got soaked.  Mommo had dry clothes out in the truck, but by the time we had walked all the way out there it was 7 or 8 and of course we’re hungry again by this time but neither of us could face walking all the way back to where we were designated to eat so we just left and stopped somewhere on the way home.

I’m glad we went but I think it’s the last time I’ll do anything like it again.  It was just too much.

Too hot
Too much walking
Too much standing
Too many people
And WAY too expensive.

I felt like the grouchy old man standing on the porch wanting to yell
“You kids get off of my lawn!”

It’s hell to get old.

How I spent my Florida vacation

Silver Springs is located in Ocala, FL, at the headwaters of the Silver River.  The river is registered as a Natural Landmark.  There are 7 major spring formations pumping 550 million gallons of water a day. Their crystal clear waters have beckoned tourists since the late 1870’s when the first glass bottom boat was invented and they started selling boat rides over the springs.

The glass bottom boat rides are very cool, as are the wildlife river cruises.
I didn’t get to see all they had to offer as it was very, very hot and the walking really got to all of us.  They have a reasonably priced admission, as tourist attractions go (about $30 as opposed to $80 at Universal Studios, and they had a buy one get one free coupon we could download from their website).

My only real gripe is probably true of almost all tourist attractions (and movie theaters).  They won’t let you bring food or drinks in, and then skewer you for the cost of them inside.  3 DOLLARS for a bottled soda or water!  I was so shocked I had to document it.

I tried to get photos through the glass bottom of the boats but they didn’t turn out well at all.  I did get some pictures of some of the wildlife and not so wild life, an a couple of exhibits though.

 And for the Grand Finale I just found these guys comical

And finally this guy was just too cool ...   Wheeee!

Home again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

I’m baaack … and I have to say, there’s no place like home LOL.  Okay,  okay, cliché movie quotes aside, it really is good to be back home.  While sitting on the side of the highway yesterday, in the heat, with a busted water pump I wished I could click my heels three times and be home let me tell you.  Whew, it was hot! And though there was no knight in shining armor that came to the rescue of the damsels in distress (sigh … mores the pity) we were able to hire help and got fixed and back on the road (with empty pockets) in about 3 hours.  Not too shabby for a crises of those proportions.  The boys at Ray Marr’s didn't take advantage of us, we just didn’t have a lot left after vacation and they got all of it but 20 bucks that we needed for gas.

Although the road trip down was uneventful, this vacation started out with a bang  just a couple hours after our arrival.  Mom and Dad had dinner waiting on us, so we ate and caught up on the news then went out to the yard to continue visiting.  My cellphone started ringing.  I dug it out of my pocket but I didn’t recognize the number so I ignored it.  Less than 5 minutes later it rang again and since the caller was persistent I figured I’d better answer.

“Hello”

“Hello, this is the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.  You called 911?”

“um … Excuse me!?  No ma’am, I did not.”
“ We received a call from this cell phone at 19:30 hours.  No one spoke to us but we could here voices talking.  Is everything okay?”

“Yes ma’am, everything’s fine but this is MY cell phone and no one has had access to it, it’s been right here in my pocke … oh nooo!  I had my phone in my pocket, it must have gotten scrunched during dinner and dialed itself.  I’m so sorry, I had no idea, that’s never happened to me before”

She didn’t give me a hard time but did want to know my location.  It probably didn’t make her happy when I explained I had just arrived from out of town and I was at my parents and wasn’t sure of the exact address but would let my father tell her.  I know for a fact it didn’t make HIM happy LOL.   Especially when a few minutes later an officer showed up to check it out and I had to explain to him that my butt dialed 911.

Actually it didn’t.  I checked the recent calls and what my butt dialed was 08 and it seems that, in Lake county at least, 8 is the default speed dial for 911.  ARRGH … did I mention that I hate cell phones, and dealing with cops.  The officer was pleasant enough about it though, and the only hard time I got was from my father who kept harping on me all week about how they could fine me for that ya know and blah, blah, blah.  Dad has a Virgo sun and is as anal a Virgo as ever was.  He doesn’t even understand the meaning of laid back … or lay off for Pete’s sake! LOL

Used to be that when I would go to my parent's house, my Mom and my brothers would make bets on how many minutes it would be until me and my Dad got into it.  These days we have a few states buffer in between us and because we don't see each other often we can usually make it about 3 days before the gloves come off.  This trip was no exception ... twice.  Although I AM getting better.  The first time I got madder than hell, but didn't explode back at him.  Just kept to my self until I composed myself, then went to my brother's house the next day.  Came back and made it three more days before I lost it when he started telling me what I think.  Some day I may figure out how to not let him get to me, but not yet I'm afraid.

More to come; part two gets better … I promise