Hijinks & Shenanigans but not much Mayhem@The Dark Side+Disney, Despicable 10/7
- Thread starter natebenma
- Start date
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
The room is great but that view is fantastic!
The service sounds good too- it makes me wish we were staying on site. Maybe next time.
We were very very happy with the room and the service. I forgot to mention that the room was near the end of two very long hallways, so there was a lot of walking, but that didn't bother us at all. I did keep getting lost- I would go down the wrong second hallway. Room was very quiet.
As we suspected we liked Hard Rock a lot more than the Portofino, mostly because of the location and the vibe of the hotel.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Insert Resort Map
“Be Our Guest” Lobby & Hallways
Lobby- Third Floor:
Hallways:
These were the views of the theme parks from the windows near the elevators:
When you take the elevator to the First Floor, you end up in this rotunda, with exits to The Kitchen restaurant, Emack and Bolios, the pool and the boat launch/walking path
Look who showed up:
Continued in Next Post
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
A Few of My Favorite Things! Memorabilia
Love on an Elevator (3rd Floor Elevator):
Workin for the Weekend:
I Want to Rock and Roll All Night!
Cool for Cats:
I Cant Help Falling In Love With You
I Think I Love You! (David Cassidy was my first crush, and recipient of the very first love letter I ever wrote)
Continued in Next Post
Love on an Elevator (3rd Floor Elevator):
Workin for the Weekend:
I Want to Rock and Roll All Night!
Cool for Cats:
I Cant Help Falling In Love With You
I Think I Love You! (David Cassidy was my first crush, and recipient of the very first love letter I ever wrote)
Continued in Next Post
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
I Melt With You: Emack & Bolios Marketplace
This is the place to come for the best ice cream and smoothies ever created! This award winning ice cream store not only offers musically inspired ice cream flavors, but also sells a wide variety of snacks, candies and drinks, as well as breakfast items, sandwiches and pizza.
Open Daily at 6:30 am for freshly brewed Starbucks coffee drinks and breakfast pastries.
Ice Cream
Note: There was an advertisement for Emack & Bolios in the elevator: Mention this ad for a free add-on when you order two scoops of ice cream or something like that. Unfortunately, I didnt notice the ad until the day after we had ordered ice cream.
Munchies- Snacks and Breakfast Items:
Breakfast in America:
When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like a Big Pizza Pie
We did not have plans for dinner on our first night at Universal- we didnt know where we would be or when we would be hungry. We stumbled back to the Hard Rock after a long day- 4 am wakeup, 3 hour flight, hours at Universal and then Islands of Adventure.
We spied this poster and decided to get a pizza with a couple of drinks
Two fails here! I forgot to ask if they honored the 10% AAA discount (I found out later they dont)
I also failed to take a picture of the pizza when we returned to the room with it.
The meal really hit the spot!
Cost: $28.00 plus tip for 1 large pizza and 2 drinks
Continued in the Next Post
This is the place to come for the best ice cream and smoothies ever created! This award winning ice cream store not only offers musically inspired ice cream flavors, but also sells a wide variety of snacks, candies and drinks, as well as breakfast items, sandwiches and pizza.
Open Daily at 6:30 am for freshly brewed Starbucks coffee drinks and breakfast pastries.
Ice Cream
Note: There was an advertisement for Emack & Bolios in the elevator: Mention this ad for a free add-on when you order two scoops of ice cream or something like that. Unfortunately, I didnt notice the ad until the day after we had ordered ice cream.
Munchies- Snacks and Breakfast Items:
Breakfast in America:
When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like a Big Pizza Pie
We did not have plans for dinner on our first night at Universal- we didnt know where we would be or when we would be hungry. We stumbled back to the Hard Rock after a long day- 4 am wakeup, 3 hour flight, hours at Universal and then Islands of Adventure.
We spied this poster and decided to get a pizza with a couple of drinks
Two fails here! I forgot to ask if they honored the 10% AAA discount (I found out later they dont)
I also failed to take a picture of the pizza when we returned to the room with it.
The meal really hit the spot!
Cost: $28.00 plus tip for 1 large pizza and 2 drinks
Continued in the Next Post
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
"Twistin' by the Pool"
The pool at the Hard Rock opens daily at 8 am. Hours may vary by season.
One of the features is a speaker system which allows you to listen to music underwater. The pool also features a cool pool slide. There is poolside entertainment daily, like Hula Hoop contests, Scavenger Hunts, Balloon Toss and a Dive-In Movie shown nightly. A nice touch was the cooler of citrus water offered near the pool.
On of the drawbacks of the pool is the depth. I think it is around 4" deep in most places.
The Hard Rock offers Cabana Rentals starting at $180 per day.
I have to confess that we were so busy at the theme parks during our stay that we didn't use the pool at all.
I took about 30 minutes to sit in a lounger to soak in the atmosphere in this picturesque spot.
A few more pictures around the pool area:
Dive-In Movie
Read about the poolside Beach Club restaurant in the next post
The pool at the Hard Rock opens daily at 8 am. Hours may vary by season.
One of the features is a speaker system which allows you to listen to music underwater. The pool also features a cool pool slide. There is poolside entertainment daily, like Hula Hoop contests, Scavenger Hunts, Balloon Toss and a Dive-In Movie shown nightly. A nice touch was the cooler of citrus water offered near the pool.
On of the drawbacks of the pool is the depth. I think it is around 4" deep in most places.
The Hard Rock offers Cabana Rentals starting at $180 per day.
I have to confess that we were so busy at the theme parks during our stay that we didn't use the pool at all.
I took about 30 minutes to sit in a lounger to soak in the atmosphere in this picturesque spot.
A few more pictures around the pool area:
Dive-In Movie
Read about the poolside Beach Club restaurant in the next post
poolside restaurant is a casual hangout for a bite to eat and the best poolside view at the hotel.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Get Busy (Resort Activities)
Pool Activities
From ping pong tournaments, water balloon tosses, pool basketball, hula hoop contests or arts & crafts, youll find something fun to do poolside for the whole family. Check with the front desk upon your arrival to find out what's going on during your stay.
Catch the "movie of the week" on a big screen poolside - it's one of our guests' favorite activities and a great way to unwind with the family after a day in the parks! Guests are invited to enjoy a range of family favorites and blockbusters under the stars. Food is also available from the Beach Club until 11pm.
Select nights each week, weather permitting.
Jogging
Whether you're a runner, a jogger or a walker you can take a trip around the Universal Orlando Resort grounds. Stop by the concierge desk on your arrival and pick up a map for .5, 1.3 or 3.0 mile loop.
Arcade
Play all the latest video games in the hotels game room.
Open from 8 am - 12 midnight.
Concerts
From May through August, the hotel will feature a DJ on Thursday nights, a live band on Saturdays and Concert Nights every Sunday. Concert nights will showcase performances from today's top bands on a full-size movie screen by the beach. All entertainment is complimentary to hotel guests.
Hard Rock Orlando is offering a couple of neat programs this summer:
Sound of Your Stay- Guests can borrow an expensive guitar for use during their stays.
Sounds of Your Stay- Guests can borrow an expensive guitar for use during their stays.
BE A CLOSET ROCKER WITH PICKS.
Satisfaction. That’s what a luxury brand experience should embody. And what could be more satisfying than a world-class Fender guitar delivered to your room? Hard Rock and Fender have teamed up to offer a uniquely authentic rock-and-roll experience and serious guitars are the new in-room amenity. Are you ready?
Guests may choose from 20 different awesome Fender guitars including legendary Stratocasters, classic Telecasters and a few special surprises. We also offer bass guitars for those of you who love throwing down a funky baseline. Plus, we provide an amp and a pair of headphones to ensure maximum sound for you and zero noise complaints to us.
The best part? There's no charge or time limit on use (but just to be sure you don't go off on your next world tour with our guitar, a $1,000 credit card deposit is required when checking a guitar out). So grab that Fender axe you’ve always wanted to try, channel Stevie Ray or Clapton and shred for as long as you're staying at Hard Rock Hotel.
Full Menu of Guitars
Tracks
tracks.® is a free music download program where guests can download playlists curated by celebrities and music pros.
At check-in you will receive a code to download your choice of 3 themed playlists to serve as your official soundtrack to enhance your Hard Rock Hotel experience. Playlist themes include City which features cutting edge rock and electronic sounds, Players which reflects the more classic side of Hard Rock, and Resort which features more recognizable pop-rock hits and new bands about to break.
Continued in Next Post
Pool Activities
From ping pong tournaments, water balloon tosses, pool basketball, hula hoop contests or arts & crafts, youll find something fun to do poolside for the whole family. Check with the front desk upon your arrival to find out what's going on during your stay.
Catch the "movie of the week" on a big screen poolside - it's one of our guests' favorite activities and a great way to unwind with the family after a day in the parks! Guests are invited to enjoy a range of family favorites and blockbusters under the stars. Food is also available from the Beach Club until 11pm.
Select nights each week, weather permitting.
Jogging
Whether you're a runner, a jogger or a walker you can take a trip around the Universal Orlando Resort grounds. Stop by the concierge desk on your arrival and pick up a map for .5, 1.3 or 3.0 mile loop.
Arcade
Play all the latest video games in the hotels game room.
Open from 8 am - 12 midnight.
Concerts
From May through August, the hotel will feature a DJ on Thursday nights, a live band on Saturdays and Concert Nights every Sunday. Concert nights will showcase performances from today's top bands on a full-size movie screen by the beach. All entertainment is complimentary to hotel guests.
Hard Rock Orlando is offering a couple of neat programs this summer:
Sound of Your Stay- Guests can borrow an expensive guitar for use during their stays.
Sounds of Your Stay- Guests can borrow an expensive guitar for use during their stays.
BE A CLOSET ROCKER WITH PICKS.
Satisfaction. That’s what a luxury brand experience should embody. And what could be more satisfying than a world-class Fender guitar delivered to your room? Hard Rock and Fender have teamed up to offer a uniquely authentic rock-and-roll experience and serious guitars are the new in-room amenity. Are you ready?
Guests may choose from 20 different awesome Fender guitars including legendary Stratocasters, classic Telecasters and a few special surprises. We also offer bass guitars for those of you who love throwing down a funky baseline. Plus, we provide an amp and a pair of headphones to ensure maximum sound for you and zero noise complaints to us.
The best part? There's no charge or time limit on use (but just to be sure you don't go off on your next world tour with our guitar, a $1,000 credit card deposit is required when checking a guitar out). So grab that Fender axe you’ve always wanted to try, channel Stevie Ray or Clapton and shred for as long as you're staying at Hard Rock Hotel.
Full Menu of Guitars
Tracks
tracks.® is a free music download program where guests can download playlists curated by celebrities and music pros.
At check-in you will receive a code to download your choice of 3 themed playlists to serve as your official soundtrack to enhance your Hard Rock Hotel experience. Playlist themes include City which features cutting edge rock and electronic sounds, Players which reflects the more classic side of Hard Rock, and Resort which features more recognizable pop-rock hits and new bands about to break.
Continued in Next Post
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
"Walk This Way"
For my family, the most important reason to stay at the Hard Rock is Location, Location, Location!
We love that you can easily walk to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I didn't do a great job "timing" the walk, but I think we figured that it took us 20-25 minutes one morning to get from our room at HR to WWoHP. Not bad! The walk to Universal Studios is much quicker.
You also have the option to take a boat from the Hard Rock to City Walk or to hire a rickshaw driver to bike you there. Fee for the rickshaw is a discretionary tip to the driver. Mark and Ben did this one night after dinner at Bubba Gumps.
The main elevators take you to this hallway rotunda.
If you go straight, you arrive at the pool. This is a quick way to the path to City Walk BUT we found that the gate was locked when we tried to get through at 7 am, since the pool does not open until 8. This pathway did work great later in the day, though
If you head off to the corridor on the left, it will bring you to the boat launch and also to a path that brings on a path around the hotel to City Walk
Coming back one afternoon, we noticed people going into this door, which was just beyond the gated area of the pool. We suspected it might be "short cut" to the path, so one afternoon, we went in this door to find out where it is, and the next morning Ben and I tried this way while Mark and Nate took the path starting by the boat launch. Ben and I beat them there by a minute or two
We didn't ask anyone if there was a better way to go. If you have stayed there and know a better route, please share. I know when we stayed at the Portofino, we walked through the Hard Rock parking lot and cut through some trees near space 621, I believe and that took us RIGHT to City Walk. But we didn't find out how to get out there during our stay.
Here are a few pictures of the path from the Hard Rock to City Walk:
The Long Way Home:
For my family, the most important reason to stay at the Hard Rock is Location, Location, Location!
We love that you can easily walk to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I didn't do a great job "timing" the walk, but I think we figured that it took us 20-25 minutes one morning to get from our room at HR to WWoHP. Not bad! The walk to Universal Studios is much quicker.
You also have the option to take a boat from the Hard Rock to City Walk or to hire a rickshaw driver to bike you there. Fee for the rickshaw is a discretionary tip to the driver. Mark and Ben did this one night after dinner at Bubba Gumps.
The main elevators take you to this hallway rotunda.
If you go straight, you arrive at the pool. This is a quick way to the path to City Walk BUT we found that the gate was locked when we tried to get through at 7 am, since the pool does not open until 8. This pathway did work great later in the day, though
If you head off to the corridor on the left, it will bring you to the boat launch and also to a path that brings on a path around the hotel to City Walk
Coming back one afternoon, we noticed people going into this door, which was just beyond the gated area of the pool. We suspected it might be "short cut" to the path, so one afternoon, we went in this door to find out where it is, and the next morning Ben and I tried this way while Mark and Nate took the path starting by the boat launch. Ben and I beat them there by a minute or two
We didn't ask anyone if there was a better way to go. If you have stayed there and know a better route, please share. I know when we stayed at the Portofino, we walked through the Hard Rock parking lot and cut through some trees near space 621, I believe and that took us RIGHT to City Walk. But we didn't find out how to get out there during our stay.
Here are a few pictures of the path from the Hard Rock to City Walk:
The Long Way Home:
DisneyMomx7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2004
Dee - fantastic pictures! Getting me excited about planning a HRH vacation next year!
P.S. - David Cassidy was my first crush too (along with Bobby Sherman). I always told you we were twin sisters separated at birth!
How crowded was the room with the rollaway? We are deciding between gv room, deluxe room or club room.
P.S. - David Cassidy was my first crush too (along with Bobby Sherman). I always told you we were twin sisters separated at birth!
How crowded was the room with the rollaway? We are deciding between gv room, deluxe room or club room.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
You found me over here!!!
I'm still working on the updates and I will also post over on the main TR boards when I am done here.
We didn't find the rollaway to be bad at all. You may want more space for your family, especially if you are staying there for several days. Where did you stay last year? RPR?
We pushed the daybed up against the window. Let me see if I have any pictures that show the space.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
I remember sitting on a plane to Orlando for either our 2008 or 2009 trip- we were next to a family with teenagers and when I asked them if they were going to Disney and they said,
"No, we go to Universal now"
I shook my head (on the inside) and thought "What a misguided group!"
But I get it now.
My teen prefers the thrills at Universal/IoA. We are all blown away by the magic of Harry Potter. And the on-site perks rock!
It certainly hasnt replaced our love for Disney, but there is room for both in our lives.
I am going to present this portion of the trip report in a different way than I will write the Disney portion. I am posting a timeline showing what our days looked like, then for my actual chapters I will make my way around each of the parks, describe each land, post pictures, and include interesting stories from our trip. I hope there are some!
Our Timeline at Universal/Islands of Adventure:
Saturday July 13
4 am- wake up
4:45- car service arrives
5:30- arrive at airport, check bags, breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, board plane
7 am to 10 am- flight
11 am- arrive at Hard Rock Hotel, check in, deposit bags in room
12 noon- enter Universal Studios
Guest Services- Exchange paper vouchers for tickets
Photo Connect- Exchange paper pre-order for Star Connect Card, lanyard
Mummy
Transformers
Men in Black
*********************************************
Around 2 PM: Eat at Lombards
*********************************************
Men in Black
Simpsons
ET ( missed rainstorm)
Mummy
Despicable Me (long wait)
***********************************************
Around 5 PM??? Sprinkling as we walk to IoA
WWoHP:
Zonkos & Honeydukes
Forbidden Journey (45 min wait)
Spiderman
***********************************************
Return to Hard Rock
Pizza from Emacks
Sunday July 14
Left for HP around 6:50 am
Olivanders line <20 people, teenage girl in Gryffindor garb chosen
Forbidden Journey (30 min wait)
Flight of the Hippogriff
Mark/Ben- get two Butterbeers
Dee/Nate- Dragon Challenge: Blue
Mark/Nate- Dragon Challenge: Red
Dee/Ben- Honeydukes
Jurassic Park- River Adventure closed
Rip Saw Falls
Bluttos Bilge Barges x 2
Ripsaw Falls
Jurassic Park
Fountain
Dee/Nate- Hulk
Mark/Ben- Spiderman
Eat at Three Broomsticks
High in the Sky Trolley (Ben- no power, Dee-no memory)
Cat in the Hat- breakdown
Mark/Nate-Hulk
Dee/Ben- Spiderman
*****************************************************
Back to Hard Rock to chill out
Dee goes to pool, photo safari for 30 min or so
*****************************************************
Universal Studios
RRRx2
Twister
Mummy
MIBx2
Out through Simpsons
*******************************************************
Dinner at Margaritaville
******************************************************
Forbidden Journey
Mark/Ben- return to resort
Dee/Nate- Spiderman
Croissant Moon
Monday July 15
Dee takes tour of HRH- Lobby- Emacks for bananas
(Special Path to Station 9 ¾)
Forbidden Journey
Hippogriff
Dueling Dragons- Dee/Nate- Red, Mark/Nate-Blue
Butterbeer for breakfast
Jurassic Park
Rip Saw Falls
Bluttos Bilge-Rat Barge
Me Ship, The Olive
Ripsaw Falls
Jurassic Park
Planned to eat at Thunderfalls Terrace, Nate wanted to go back to room to change
********************************************************************
Ended up at Universal, eat at Richter Burgers
Transformers- down
Men In Black
Hollywood Horror Makeup Show
Mummy
Nate/Mark- Rip Ride Rocket while Dee/Ben waited in rain
Transformers- still down
Tried to get to Simpsons- raining so we took cover at animal show
Cherry Icees
Simpsons- downstairs queue
Men in Black- still raining- might as well do it twice!
Transformers- still down
Purchase Mischief Managed shirt*
************************************
Bubba Gumps
************************************
*Return Mischief Managed shirt, repurchase shirt and Deathly Hallows shirt to get AAA discount
Mark/Ben- rickshaw back to Hard Rock
Dee/Nate-
Rip Ride Rocket (broken seat, Get Busy)
Transformers (20 minute wait)
Mummy
Rip Ride Rocket (20 minute breakdown, Rainbow Connection-902)
Tuesday July 16
Islands of Adventure- 20 minute walk- utilize Room 1155 shortcut
Olivanders
Forbidden Journey
Hippogriff
Mark/Nate- Dueling Dragons
Dee/Ben- Single Rider for Forbidden Journey- was supposed to be 10 min, more like 25
Mark/Nate- Dueling Dragons
Butterbeer
Mark/Nate-Hulk
Dee/Ben- take pictures at Port of Entry and Hulk
Spiderman
10 am Boys go back to Hard Rock
Dee gets picture
Checkout
Fruit parfaits
11 am- meet driver for ride to Beach Club
This is what we needed for the parks:
The top cards are our room keys- we needed these for the 1 hour early entry into the parks. These were pretty neat: Mark had the Universal/Islands of Adventure park symbols. I had Harry Potter. Nate had Jurassic Park, which would have been better suited for Ben. And Ben had Cat in the Hat. He was NOT happy. Ben should have had Jurassic Park and Nate would have loved the Hulk. But they didnt ask.
Then we needed our park tickets, which were those hard-paper (tyvek, maybe) cards. When we got the vouchers from AAA, they come in a paper print out with a barcode. When we went to guest relations to change to these actual tickets, they gave us a little bit of a hard time and said we could just use the papers, but we knew from the last trip that accidentally getting them wet on the water rides made for very a very smooshy admission process. Plus, the cards were much smaller and easier to deal with.
Then, as resort guests, we had the separate express passes. They used to just require that you show your room keys, but I think people abused that, maybe selling their keys if they were done, so now the express passes have your photo and you print them out at the resort.
Finally, we had a single Universal Photo Connect Star Card- this is like Disneys Photopass Plus. You add any ride or photos from park photographers onto the card. I was pretty impressed with the service. We preordered (on Facebook) for $40. This included a CD with all our photos ($5 shipping fee), a lanyard, and one 5x7 or 8x10 printout. At some point we could have swapped out the Star Card we had for a plastic one with our favorite family photo from the trip, but we never did that.
I am still waiting for the CD to arrive, but you can post the pictures immediately to Facebook and I also had to have a couple of pictures enhanced, so they were emailed to me. The Refuses to Participate picture in my intro was one of the pictures. Others will be added to my updates. Here are a few more:
So it sounds like we are all ready to start our adventure! But unfortunately, that will have to wait for another update. I PROMISE you we will enter a park next time.
Next Up: US: Universal Studios (AKA Unrelenting Simulators): The part of the park we mostly just walk through
-Hope-
Always dreaming of adventure...
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2009
Wow- I am so impressed with how much you accomplished in each day! We won't have EP but our "to do" list is more modest and we're going at a slow time so seeing what you managed to get done is really reassuring. 
And I completely agree, there's room to love more than one park. We went to Six Flags yesterday and had so much fun. It's definitely not an Orlando park but there are things to love (especially how close it is to home).
And we also enjoy *gasp* non amusement park vacations. Crazy, right?! Seriously though, I'm not sure why the big push to choose- its a big world out there and we can enjoy many, many things.
And I completely agree, there's room to love more than one park. We went to Six Flags yesterday and had so much fun. It's definitely not an Orlando park but there are things to love (especially how close it is to home).
And we also enjoy *gasp* non amusement park vacations. Crazy, right?! Seriously though, I'm not sure why the big push to choose- its a big world out there and we can enjoy many, many things.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Wow- I am so impressed with how much you accomplished in each day! We won't have EP but our "to do" list is more modest and we're going at a slow time so seeing what you managed to get done is really reassuring.
And I completely agree, there's room to love more than one park. We went to Six Flags yesterday and had so much fun. It's definitely not an Orlando park but there are things to love (especially how close it is to home).
Sorry to take so long to respond to your comment and to get over to this report again (and yours, too).
We are pretty hard-core in the parks- always have been. We take a lot of pride in what we accomplished in the parks and when we were at Disney, we once again repeated our "Double Triple Mountain Whammy" at Magic Kingdom. Good times!
I read about your day at Six Flags. We have a smaller amusement park (Canobie Lake Park) about 45 minutes from here, and we go almost every year. We have a Six Flags about 2 hours away, but we haven't visited yet. Now that my teen enjoys a more extreme thrill ride experience, we will probably visit sometime soon.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Illegal Aliens
When you enter Universal Studios, there are two different routes you can take. Walking straight ahead will bring you to Production Central (Despicable Me, Shrek 4-D, Rip Ride Rockit and Transformers), and then to NYC (Twister, Mummy and the Blues Brothers Show).
If you take the path to the right you enter Hollywood (Lucy-A Tribute, Terminator 2: 3-D and the Hollywood Make-up Show), then you will arrive at Woody Woodpeckerss KidZone (ET, Barney, Curious George playground, Woody Woodpecker coaster, Fievels Playground, a Barney show and an Animal Actors show)
Lets go right and take a counter-clockwise tour around the park.
The only things that interested us in these two sections were the Hollywood Horror Make-up show and ET.
We had seen the Terminator show, which was a combination of live action, special effects and 3-D movie during our visit in 2011, but none of us were really impressed, so we didn't bother seeing the show again this year.
The pictures of Hollywood I am showing are actually from our 2011 trip, because we didn't even take this path once on our recent visit.
Hollywood Boulevard:
*****************************************************
The one show I really wanted to see was the Hollywood Horror Make-up show. I missed this last time by about a minute, when the doors to the theatre shut just as Ben and I arrived. The show is a funny, improvised, audience participation introduction to the amazing special effects created in horror films.
People are permitted to take pictures during the show, but I actually showed some restraint, mostly because I didnt want to attract attention to myself and end up as part of the show. I am a little sorry that I didnt take pictures of the part where they sawed into one of the participants arms- it was really well done and cool to watch.
Continued in Next Post
.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Continued from previous post
The only attraction of interest to us in Woody Woodpeckers Kid Zone is E.T. Adventure.
Hop aboard a starbound bike and help E.T. save his dying planet. This ride reminds me of Peter Pans Flight, as you fly over a city and then end up on E.T.s planet, surrounded by some strange creatures.
The queue for this ride is pretty neat. It is a forest, a lot like the Endor queue for Star Tours, but it is inside and dark. Right before you ride, you give your name to a team member who programs it in so at the end of the ride, E.T. can say goodbye to you by name.
Of course, my family couldnt pass up an opportunity for a few hijinks! Mark said his name was Sam, I used Alex, Ben picked Omar and Nate claimed to be Jerome
"Jerome, Phone Home!"
Is E.T. giving us a sign showing how he feels about us giving the wrong names???
I think this ride may be part of the Photo Connect program, but I didn't get a ride photo here. I have read since returning from the trip that there are a couple of photo ops you can do at E.T. A picture of your family on the bikes, with E.T. in the front basket and one with E.T. hiding in the closet with the other toys.
While we were in the E.T. attraction, an intense rain storm must have gone through. The sidewalks had puddles of water.
This is what it had looked like earlier that day:
Then, after we exited E.T. the skies looked like this!
Fortunately, we dodged the rain most of our first day, but we wouldn't be as lucky later in the week.
Next up: Dont Have a Cow, Man! Were headed to Springfield
.
The only attraction of interest to us in Woody Woodpeckers Kid Zone is E.T. Adventure.
Hop aboard a starbound bike and help E.T. save his dying planet. This ride reminds me of Peter Pans Flight, as you fly over a city and then end up on E.T.s planet, surrounded by some strange creatures.
The queue for this ride is pretty neat. It is a forest, a lot like the Endor queue for Star Tours, but it is inside and dark. Right before you ride, you give your name to a team member who programs it in so at the end of the ride, E.T. can say goodbye to you by name.
Of course, my family couldnt pass up an opportunity for a few hijinks! Mark said his name was Sam, I used Alex, Ben picked Omar and Nate claimed to be Jerome
"Jerome, Phone Home!"
Is E.T. giving us a sign showing how he feels about us giving the wrong names???
I think this ride may be part of the Photo Connect program, but I didn't get a ride photo here. I have read since returning from the trip that there are a couple of photo ops you can do at E.T. A picture of your family on the bikes, with E.T. in the front basket and one with E.T. hiding in the closet with the other toys.
While we were in the E.T. attraction, an intense rain storm must have gone through. The sidewalks had puddles of water.
This is what it had looked like earlier that day:
Then, after we exited E.T. the skies looked like this!
Fortunately, we dodged the rain most of our first day, but we wouldn't be as lucky later in the week.
Next up: Dont Have a Cow, Man! Were headed to Springfield
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-Hope-
Always dreaming of adventure...
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2009
Too funny that you gave the wrong names to ET! 
This is one of the "old school" rides I'm most looking forward to. I still remember when ET first came out and the excitement that surrounded it. We watched it just yesterday and the kids enjoyed it a lot too.
Love your pics of the streets of Hollywood and shop windows. My mom is going to be doing a bit of waiting for us while we ride a couple of things she can't so it's good to see that she's going to have plenty of atmosphere to enjoy instead of just waiting around on a bench.
This is one of the "old school" rides I'm most looking forward to. I still remember when ET first came out and the excitement that surrounded it. We watched it just yesterday and the kids enjoyed it a lot too.
Love your pics of the streets of Hollywood and shop windows. My mom is going to be doing a bit of waiting for us while we ride a couple of things she can't so it's good to see that she's going to have plenty of atmosphere to enjoy instead of just waiting around on a bench.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
Too funny that you gave the wrong names to ET!
This is one of the "old school" rides I'm most looking forward to. I still remember when ET first came out and the excitement that surrounded it. We watched it just yesterday and the kids enjoyed it a lot too.
Love your pics of the streets of Hollywood and shop windows. My mom is going to be doing a bit of waiting for us while we ride a couple of things she can't so it's good to see that she's going to have plenty of atmosphere to enjoy instead of just waiting around on a bench.
I'm not sure if my kids have really seen E.T. Maybe once, a long time ago. It is good for about one visit per trip for us.
There will be a lot for her to see while waiting- here in the Hollywood section and even more so in the NYC area. And of course, the window shopping and details in Hogsmeade at the Wizarding World are just incredible.
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
As you continue around the lagoon, you come to the World Expo section featuring Springfield, home of The Simpsons, Men in Black and Fear Factor Live.
Things must be going well at the local nuclear power plant, because Springfield has been undergoing a building boom in the last couple of years. In addition to the simulator ride and Kwik-E-Mart, it looks like the midway area has been improved, Moes Tavern and Krusty Burger have opened and coming soon: Kang & Kodos Twirl and Hurl.
The feature attraction in this area is the Simpsons Simulator Ride- Krusty the Klown (evil Kelsey Grammer) has taken over a newly-opened, but dangerous theme park and he is trying to kill his arch-enemies The Simpsons, and your family:
I believe we did this twice during our trip.
You enter the ride here:
While you are waiting in line, there are some cool promo posters that may be references to another well-known theme park:
You can also see part of the midway:
There is a lot going on in the ride, and I notice new details every time I go on it. The ride vehicles each seat 8 people and they are kind of like the simulators Disney had for Body Wars way back when if I am recalling correctly.
You dont need to be a fan of the show to enjoy the ride, but it really helps you to appreciate the details if you are familiar with the characters.
A little more of the midway after you exit the ride:
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