HO-HO-HO..We`ll put the RUM in Pa-Rum-Pum-Pum-Pum! 16 holiday nights at SF & RPR. A Nov/Dec 2023 Trip Report

[schumigirl]

We shared a compartment with a lovely father and daughter who were on a trip together, I thought that was so lovely for them to spend a vacation together, they were very easy to chat to as we slowly rumbled along.

Getting off most folks head for a picture in front of the train and today it seemed everyone went that way, we waited quite a time to get a picture, although we did eventually just move forward because as patient as we and the families behind us were being, one guy seemed to think he had taken root in one spot and took a million pictures of one kid (I get it) but there were so many people waiting and the train doesn`t hang around forever.

It was quiet here today when we came through and the station seemed very quiet, not that I`m complaining of course, it is so much nicer wandering around when it`s not wall to wall people as it can be.

Hogsmeade is incredibly pretty, and it`s a place that gets even prettier at night, especially during the Holidays, it`s somewhere that needs to be seen in the dark too.

The clock over the Owlery is beautiful and always looks so good in pictures, but several years ago for the first time we saw the doors open and the huge owl appear from it, it only lasts a few moments and it`s not a regular occurrence from what we`ve seen, so being able to capture it again was lovely.

We did get some pictures of it earlier this trip but it was one of the days the sky was dull and grey so you couldn`t really see the owl coming out, today was much better.

To be honest, we never saw another person notice this happening, except for one woman who looked to see what I was looking up at it and she was not overly impressed I have to say, whereas I was yelling at Tom who had turned away from it for a second to grab a picture of it....she looked at me as though I was crazy to be so excited to see this.

​

OK, just us then!!

Hogsmeade buildings are very reminiscent of a UK small town in a bygone time where buildings all had smoking chimneys, small windows and just looked so lovely and there are places in the UK that you can still see buildings like that, very pretty.

Probably the most photographed snowman in the world!

FJ is another must do ride, sure it does cause some folks some motion sickness issues and to some degree it does for me, but I can usually do this ride once or maybe twice in a day, but some folks are fine on it, you have to try to see how you are, it`s not the worst ride in the parks for motion issues, the worst for me is The Simpsons, nothing even comes close.

There are the two lines, one for EP and regular and if it`s not busy we`ll wander through the regular line just for a change, I do like both lines, you can walk through either line just to see everything, even if you don`t want to ride, both lines are worth seeing and both have so many details in there that are amazing to see.

The ride was good today, but a one and off for me, I do enjoy it, it is an incredible ride with some amazing moves and the theming is off the chart, it just can sometimes make me a little woozy.

Of course you have to get the obligatory picture with Hogwarts behind you, and no wedding to see today the way we had last week.

It was a respectable enough time by now to have a cocktail today, so we stopped off at the Watering Hole as we do like the ones they offer and they give a very good pour

There isn`t a line for drinks today, but we notice most of the tables have gone which is unusual as although there weren`t many, you could usually get a seat, not the comfiest chairs on the planet, but ok for 20 minutes or so while you sip, but not today it seemed.

As it`s alcohol, they do need to see who the other drink is for, usually I go get a seat and Tom orders and I wave over when they ask.....I`m always annoyed they NEVER ask to see ID from me anymore......

We ordered a Zombie for Tom and I went for their Strawberry Margarita and we wandered round to the tables outside the Discovery Centre where we sat for a time.....and it was now boiling hot which was gorgeous, and how we wished we didn`t have our hoodies with us anymore.

I think we reached 80F today, but it felt hotter.

We enjoyed the drinks, they are very nice and it was nice sitting here enjoying that sunshine passing some time.

The Discovery Centre holds Burger Digs counter service restaurant which has never been a place we enjoyed, to be fair it`s been years since we`ve eaten there as it was very poor, I doubt we`ll ever go back but it always seems to be busy so I guess maybe it`s not so bad.

If you head downstairs you see the Adventure Centre where it has some very cool things for children and it leads out to Velocicoaster too. It`s usually freezing cold, but I went into use the bathroom and I think they had the heat on, a woman in the bathroom was having a hot flush and very uncomfortable bless her, she asked if anyone knew somewhere she could cool down...I suggested JPRA kinda as a joke, but she seemed to think it wasn`t a bad idea and headed out saying that was her next stop.

Another fast food option here is Pizza Predatoria which we did eat there a million years ago, none of us can remember it, so it couldn`t have been so bad, but I have no idea what it`s like now.

We didn`t feel like going on VC today but did snap a nice picture of it, I wish it had sound as those gals and guys were screaming like crazy today and it sounded so much fun, but today we were feeling like a more sedate day that didn`t involve being hurtled round and around.

Kong is one of those rides we don`t mind missing. If the EP line is long we just won`t do it, it`s decent and quite fun, but missable, however we do like the animatronic Kong at the end.

Make sure you keep your mouth closed or covered in the earlier parts of the ride

We did go on it today and it was a quick EP line so we hopped on and it wasn`t cramped at all as it can be sometimes. But, it`s just ok for us.

Now we were getting hungry, so we headed out of the park and passed a ride we`d be avoiding, although it was really, really hot now, I still didn`t plan to get soaked today or any day at this time of year.

The UOAP store is nothing special, especially now it`s just another merchandise opportunity. You can get fridge magnets and so on, we never bother and many use it for a quick charge of their phones and a sit down. There are drinks to buy but nothing is complimentary which surprises some folks and can be vocal about it too!!!

I think most folks know we aren`t the biggest counter service fans, and this one doesn`t get the best reviews but again, we last ate here in 2007, so not exactly the best people to give opinions on it, generally no-one raves about it.

This was another picture opportunity today we had never seen or even noticed before!!! We must have walked past it a million times and just hadn`t been paying attention, but nice little area just to the side of the ice cream place..so many hidden gems.

Lunch coming right up.....

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Toon Lagoon always look so much fun!


As always gorgeous photos.



Also I hit my computer mouse too quick and scrolled too the fact you got a zombie and got very confused for a hot second

 

[schumigirl]

Toon Lagoon always look so much fun!


As always gorgeous photos.



Also I hit my computer mouse too quick and scrolled too the fact you got a zombie and got very confused for a hot second

It really is a fun and very colourful place to be around, and thank you, I`m always glad to hear that with the pictures, I`m so lucky Tom enjoys taking them so much!

lol.....sometimes when it scrolls on it`s own it can read funny!!! That Zombie was very nice, but I preferred my Strawberry Margarita!!

Hope you`re doing good

 

[Worfiedoodles]

People-watching is the best! It's so lovely to take a minute and relax.
I can't imagine the chatty people who weren't interested in hearing what you have to say.
Think of all the tidbits they missed

I had no idea about the owl in Hogsmeade. I'm so glad you photographed it so we have evidence!
I will be checking for it because I think it's spectacular

I wish Toon Lagoon would be rethemed so people under 40 knew the IP.
It seems like a missed opportunity, but I'm sure they will get to it at some point after Epic opens.

It does seem like the tables are disappearing all over, which is a problem.
Older folks (and I mean me!) need a place to sit while going through the various lands.

I hoped the new AP Lounge would be an upgrade, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I agree about riding Kong. It's okay but once a trip for us. I also prefer riding it at night, for whatever reason.

Great Morning!

 

[schumigirl]

Well, I`m quite pleased how quickly I`m getting through this TR now, only 4 more days left!!!



Heading out of the park we pop on Spider-Man, I forget what the regular line was, but it was ridiculously long, so EP was as always very much appreciated at times like this, I think we were on and off within 15 minutes and it was such a good ride as always, we really enjoy this one and not a sign of any motion issues on it.

Port of Entry is full of characters today and they are very good, they put on a good show and although this area is not exactly crammed full at this time of day, there are plenty of folks around for them to perform to and everyone seems to love them.

Margaritaville is somewhere a lot of people are put off from going due to it being a chain and maybe past experience, but over the last few years we`ve always enjoyed whatever we`ve had from here.

We tend to sit at the bar and enjoy the banter with the bar staff here, we go in and the barman says nice to see you back again. I was surprised as they see so many folks, he said later folks are surprised they remember them, but they do, he remembered we knew Irish Jack and enjoyed his cocktails....good memory.

It wasn`t too busy in the restaurant today, one of those days where walk ins would be easy, you`d get a table no problems.

I ordered a very spicy margarita and Tom had the original mango margarita and Michael was very chatty as it wasn`t busy, always nice to chat to them when they can.

The drinks are very nice and just what we needed on this hot day.

We`d definitely be having another each today of these!!

Food wise, Tom got his usual from here....Club Sandwich. If it`s not that he gets the cheeseburger in paradise, both dishes he really enjoys and the Club Sandwich is huge, massive!!

I would steal one of Tom`s sandwiches so I ordered an appetiser and I do like the Lava Lava Shrimp so ordered that with an extra side of honey mustard for me to dip some fries into.

I will say, there`s a lot less sauce with the shrimp than there used to be, but it`s still lovely. I do prefer shrimp without batter or breading, but this isn`t too bad a dish and the sauce although not overly spicy, it is tasty.

We had another cocktail and some more chatter before settling up and heading outside back into the sunshine, this was a stunning day and I was so glad we were out enjoying this heat after such a nice lunch.

This lizard was happy!!!

Today we were heading back into the parks and I do love to see what I think has to be the best entrance to a Guest Services building anywhere.....

Even before you get inside of POE there are some stunning buildings and so amazingly themed, I must sound like a broken record singing the praises of this area and POE but it really is the most gorgeous area.

The floral arrangements around the park are beautiful too, everywhere you look there are displays and well kept topiaries including some animal shaped round in Seuss areas but I loved this one and wish I could have something like this in our gardens at home.

The one thing we wanted to do today was go into the Christmas Shop and get a personalised bauble for my friend D who we would be meeting in a few days. Her birthday is later in the month but this would be her birthday trip and I wanted to get a bauble that was Christmassy, had cat paws on it as she adores cats and we hoped she`d love it. The girl in the store new exactly what I was looking for and although I didn`t see it till D opened it up when we gave it to her I knew it would be pretty.

The girls in the store are very good with personalising items and they are always beautiful and they said they would have it sent to our room and we`d get it tomorrow.

Seuss and dinner coming up.

 

[keishashadow]

she looked at me as though I was crazy to be so excited to see this.

so many people commando thru the various parks the 1st time and then report it was a one & done for them Without discovering the intricate design features.

but I can usually do this ride once or maybe twice in a day, but some folks are fine on it,

Ugh, I cringe when family wants to ride it. The mr & I tag team off on the rides that tend to throw us for a loop. This one is “mine”. Multiple times have gotten stuck in the dementor room at the most ridiculous angles. Since my seat mates act as though they’ve grabbed the golden ticket (as in seeing design features above), I just slap a grin on.

 

[schumigirl]

People-watching is the best! It's so lovely to take a minute and relax.
I can't imagine the chatty people who weren't interested in hearing what you have to say.
Think of all the tidbits they missed

I had no idea about the owl in Hogsmeade. I'm so glad you photographed it so we have evidence!
I will be checking for it because I think it's spectacular

I wish Toon Lagoon would be rethemed so people under 40 knew the IP.
It seems like a missed opportunity, but I'm sure they will get to it at some point after Epic opens.

It does seem like the tables are disappearing all over, which is a problem.
Older folks (and I mean me!) need a place to sit while going through the various lands.

I hoped the new AP Lounge would be an upgrade, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I agree about riding Kong. It's okay but once a trip for us. I also prefer riding it at night, for whatever reason.

Great Morning!

Oh yep, we could sit and people watch for ages, especially if we have a drink while we do it, and I do admit I enjoy listening to folks talk, it`s usually interesting, but this woman was like a hurricane!!

That owl is very impressive to see, yes keep an eye out as we haven`t seen it often.

Very true, some kids don`t have a clue who folks like Popeye which is shocking, but I admit to never having heard of the Ripsaw Falls characters before we went to Orlando.

I do hope they don`t remove more tables and chairs, I agree I do enjoy being able to sit down and just....sit. We don`t need to be running around the parks from ride to ride, relaxing is nice.

I don`t think we`ve ever ridden Kong at night now I think on it. And yes, the AP lounge is nothing to write home about.....doubt we`ll bother going back in

 

[schumigirl]

so many people commando thru the various parks the 1st time and then report it was a one & done for them Without discovering the intricate design features.

Ugh, I cringe when family wants to ride it. The mr & I tag team off on the rides that tend to throw us for a loop. This one is “mine”. Multiple times have gotten stuck in the dementor room at the most ridiculous angles. Since my seat mates act as though they’ve grabbed the golden ticket (as in seeing design features above), I just slap a grin on.

Ain`t that the truth!!! How many times do we see folks saying they did the parks in half a day and they were done!! Miss so much doing that and I know even given how many times we`ve done the parks, every trip without fail we see something new.

Yep, I wouldn`t mind being stuck like that too....but I agree, it`s one of those that hits many the wrong way. I`m now imagining you slapping a grin on while being stuck like that.....lol

 

[saskdw]

At the Orlando Informer event we actually went through the regular Spider-Man line for the first time ever. Lot's of cool stuff we had no idea we were missing!

We've eaten at Margaritaville the last 2 trips now and really enjoyed it both times.

 

[schumigirl]

At the Orlando Informer event we actually went through the regular Spider-Man line for the first time ever. Lot's of cool stuff we had no idea we were missing!

We've eaten at Margaritaville the last 2 trips now and really enjoyed it both times.

Lordy, it has been so long since we went through the full line we forget what there is. We did go through it once a few years ago, I forget why but everyone was going that way, but we were chatting to folks around us and didn’t notice anything.

Yep, Margaritaville is always good for us, long may it continue.

 

[schumigirl]

Once we had ordered the Christmas bauble we headed back into the park, going straight for Dr Doom, and we immediately noticed how much busier the park is in the afternoons, we tend not to be in them after lunch usually, so this was slightly different for us.

Dr Doom was busy, so we were very glad of EP again, if it`s quiet we do wander through the regular line on occasion, it`s not an unmissable line to see, but it`s ok when quiet. I find myself a little wary on this ride now, I always loved it and genuinely had no fear on it, apart from ride excitement of course.....Tom however has always said this is the scariest ride in the park for him, albeit a very short one. But, since the young man was killed on the tower ride similar to this one in Icon Park, it gives me a little pause. I know however there is no comparison as I trust Universal implicitly regarding safety and maintenance of all rides unlike the operators of the one that sadly killed a young man. But, I do find I get a little more nervous now than I used to on this one.

It is a good ride, short, but fun!!

We skipped Hulk today as we`d had two cocktails each, common sense really, instead headed back to Seuss for a few tamer rides and just to enjoy the sunshine and heat we had now. I have to admit I was amazed at the folks still wearing jackets and winter looking clothes, it was 80F!!!

People talk about their nightmare of being stuck in A Small World.....today we get stuck in Cat in the Hat!!!

There was little to no line for this one so we hopped on without waiting, I think there were about 10 people not in the EP line.....yes, we still use EP even with no one around!!! Why not.

It`s an odd one for sure, as I mention often, we were not brought up knowing Dr Seuss stories, so they are a little unique to most Brits and the ride is one to enjoy in it`s simplicity, no fancy shows or tricks, no screens and no live action, just a melange of scenes from his imagination which is probably best described as unique.

We like it though and there are plenty of adults that go on without kids, someone said to us they feel a little awkward going as an adult on a kiddie ride.....nope, never gave it a thought and neither do the TM`s.

This is where we got stuck. Not the worst ride or place to stop but we found it funny and reminisced about the time we did get stuck on Space Mountain many moons ago, it wasn`t for long and the lights didn`t come on, but we were there for a few minutes and this one was the same today. At least we wouldn`t have far to climb if we had to get off unlike the poor folks we saw once have to climb out the cars when RRR stuck at the top!!!! I`m not sure I could have moved at all to be honest if that had been us, nope, I`ll wait, would have been my response!

I did like their Christmas tree in the store as you exited the ride.

Thing 1 & 2 have never been something we`ve ever been interested in so the merchandise is not something we pay attention to, but it is a very vivid store to walk around.

Again, being in the parks mainly in the morning, we can miss a lot of the characters out and wandering around, so today it was nice to see so many Who`s around and they are amazing with their characters, a lot of fun and the make up when you get up close is incredible!!

They know their audience and their humour can vary to suit the person, and this lady had me rolling with laughter, she was very funny!!

We headed onto the Trolley Train now and this is one we do enjoy, the views over the park is lovely and you can see a lot as you slowly meander around.

Not at all ladylike climbing in and out of the train though....... If you are wearing a skirt or dress, make sure you wear comfort/modesty shorts underneath!

We hadn`t been on Hulk many times this visit, not that we don`t like it, I do find a little like RRR, it knocks me funny and can make me feel a little off for an hour or so and as we`ve ridden it so many times over the years, we don`t mind missing it. But, my goodness it is still an amazing ride with one of the best take starts to a ride anywhere.

We might not like the restaurant food very much, but the building never fails to impress when you see it.

Going back through Seuss the characters were still wandering around and their interactions were so much fun to watch, although there were a couple of little ones who were a little unsure on their faces, but generally they are incredibly popular.

As we were heading out of the park, I saw a face we knew and he was waving to us too, David was another TM we had known for many years but was now behind the scenes, way behind the scenes so we very rarely saw him, but we managed to chat for a bit and we had a laugh as one of his favourite events is not HHN as we had once thought, but Mardi Gras was his time of year and we always tell him we did two MG trips over two years and it`s not our favourite time of year and have no interest in going back again, he thinks it`s funny but does see why it kinda bored us after two trips. I know right now he`ll be enjoying it, but we`ll never venture back that time of year for MG.

He was with a group of folks so we said we`d email soon and he headed off and we started to walk home, it was mid to late afternoon by now but not any cooler, we do enjoy the walk back from the parks though.

The RP pool is beautiful and looked especially stunning today, and fairly quiet, something we very rarely do is spend time around a pool during the day, we`re more moon bathers!!

I saw someone waving heartily at us as we walked round the pool to get out, it was Ruth and her daughter enjoying some pool time on this gorgeous day and they did look very relaxed I have to say!!

We headed upstairs and caught up on some emails and then we both hit the shower before heading down to the Club Lounge.

It was fairly busy to begin with tonight but quietened down a little towards the last hour or so, we didn`t take notice of the food tonight at all, instead having a couple of glasses of wine as Tom wasn`t driving tonight, we were heading out to a Longhorn that had been recommended to us by a couple of local TM`s so we enjoyed our usual couple of hours in there chatting and laughing with everyone as well as mooching on our ipads too....always nice.

Before we left we chatted personally to a couple of the TM`s there, they genuinely are the kindest ladies.

We said our goodnights and headed down to the lobby to order our Uber which was about 5 minutes away, we waited outside as it was still warm tonight and our Uber driver had the demeanour of someone who had just been given the worst news imaginable!! It was a little uncomfortable as I swear this man looked as if he was going to burst into tears at any moment, we were glad the journey was only around 10 minutes or so with lights!! But, when we got out he suddenly became very animated and expressed great delight in driving us tonight, I guess he was thinking of his tip!!

The Longhorn we went to was in Oak Ridge Rd, which is one of the newer areas that have popped up over the last few years but we had never gone to this one before as we always went to LBV, but we had been a little disappointed with it last couple of visits and wanted to try another one so we hoped this would be perfect.

Longhorn is a reasonably priced chain, nothing fancy but the steaks have always been decent for the price, and on occasions we have enjoyed the steaks from here more than the $60/70 Ocean Prime ones, so we are happy to eat here and looked forward to this tonight.

We had a nice table and our waitress was everything you`d want in someone looking after you, she chatted immediately and had the usual pleasantries as we ordered drinks, we chose a bottle of wine and some water then she asked if we had been here before so we very briefly explained the other LH hadn`t cooked our steaks properly and jokingly asked how the chef was in here for doing a medium rare steak......she burst out laughing and said he was exceptional but had to say that as he was her husband......lol......she said she`d make sure they were beyond perfect for us.

The bread here is very nice, I don`t have a lot of it, but do have half a slice now and again, but Tom and Kyle always enjoy it, it`s also very filling.

The wine was very nice and our waitress stopped by a couple of times to chat and said she`d bring her husband out to meet us and at that he appeared, very nice young man who said he`d make sure we loved his steaks.....and then promptly disappeared but we appreciated him popping out to say hello despite being busy, I do think our waitress is a woman you don`t say no to!!!

When the steaks did come out, our waitress asked us to check them and can I say, they really were perfection!!! I could have eaten 6oz filet with a spoon it was so delicate and perfectly cooked being almost rare in the middle but still warm as it should be. I had opted for the sweet potato and mushrooms and it was all beautiful.

Tom went for the 12oz Ribeye and again, absolutely perfect, this really had been a good choice. She did make us laugh though saying she had told him these had to be perfect, no mistakes here......poor guy....lol......

We loved our meal tonight, it had been gorgeous and so well cooked and it had quietened down some when we were finished and we did chat a while to our waitress after we had paid. Everyone has a story and some people have had a harder life than others for sure, but when you hear the hardships and tragedies some have gone through and they refuse to be victims, it`s so heartwarming to see and this lady was one of them. Bless her, she said she didn`t know why she was opening up to us this way but she was and it was was very touching. She wasn`t someone who would weep and wail for attention, but a genuine lady who had suffered a lot and still soldiers on.

We said our goodnights and said we hoped to see her next trip, she said they weren`t going anywhere, so we headed out to where our Uber was waiting for us already....quickest Uber ever!!!

Back home we came through the lobby and one of our lovely American kids who used to be a supervisor in the lounge was keeping an eye out for us tonight and wanted to chat, it`s always lovely to see her and we did have a good catch up about everything that had happened tonight, she is adorable and I was glad we had managed to see her again. We chatted for a time then said our goodnights then we headed up to our suite and planned an early-ish night!!

Housekeeping in both RP and Sapphire are excellent, and the ladies and gents who do evening turn down service also do a lovely job of giving you clean towels and anything else you may need as well as making your room look incredibly cosy with lowering the lighting and closing the drapes.

We watched tv for a time then lights out and looked forward to a drive out tomorrow.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I am one of the people who wish Cat in the Hat still had the original zip. I understand why they slowed it, but it was more fun when it whipped you around.

The Who’s really are as cute as can be, I love you captured so many of them.

Exiting the trolley ride…I’ve come to the conclusion my legs are too short. It just seems like the distance between the car and the ground isn’t what your body recognizes and I can’t gracefully make the exchange

The RPR pool looks so inviting! It would be hard to resist.

Your dinners look delicious! I have to say it is funny how Uber drivers get animated as they drop you off

I love turndown service! I feel like it really sets the experience apart as a nicer hotel.

What a lovely day you had

 

[schumigirl]

I am one of the people who wish Cat in the Hat still had the original zip. I understand why they slowed it, but it was more fun when it whipped you around.

The Who’s really are as cute as can be, I love you captured so many of them.

Exiting the trolley ride…I’ve come to the conclusion my legs are too short. It just seems like the distance between the car and the ground isn’t what your body recognizes and I can’t gracefully make the exchange

The RPR pool looks so inviting! It would be hard to resist.

Your dinners look delicious! I have to say it is funny how Uber drivers get animated as they drop you off

I love turndown service! I feel like it really sets the experience apart as a nicer hotel.

What a lovely day you had

I agree actually, I thought it was better when it was more spinny...even though I don`t like spinny rides....lol......the Who`s really are very good and capture their essence so well.

lol.....I`m not overly tall, but not short either and I agree, almost pulled a muscle last time I clambered out trying not to look too much like I was struggling!!!

We didn`t use the pool at all this trip, not warm enough at night, but next trip we plan a couple of pool nights. I agree, I do like a turndown service.

I will say over the last few years we`ve been using Uber, most drivers have been very nice and normal, but there certainly have been a few that caused us to raise our eyebrows a little.....but overall, it`s been a success!

Thank you, we really did have a lovely day, very relaxing and chilled

 

[MadHatterBrooke]

Once we had ordered the Christmas bauble we headed back into the park, going straight for Dr Doom, and we immediately noticed how much busier the park is in the afternoons, we tend not to be in them after lunch usually, so this was slightly different for us.

Dr Doom was busy, so we were very glad of EP again, if it`s quiet we do wander through the regular line on occasion, it`s not an unmissable line to see, but it`s ok when quiet. I find myself a little wary on this ride now, I always loved it and genuinely had no fear on it, apart from ride excitement of course.....Tom however has always said this is the scariest ride in the park for him, albeit a very short one. But, since the young man was killed on the tower ride similar to this one in Icon Park, it gives me a little pause. I know however there is no comparison as I trust Universal implicitly regarding safety and maintenance of all rides unlike the operators of the one that sadly killed a young man. But, I do find I get a little more nervous now than I used to on this one.

It is a good ride, short, but fun!!

We skipped Hulk today as we`d had two cocktails each, common sense really, instead headed back to Seuss for a few tamer rides and just to enjoy the sunshine and heat we had now. I have to admit I was amazed at the folks still wearing jackets and winter looking clothes, it was 80F!!!

People talk about their nightmare of being stuck in A Small World.....today we get stuck in Cat in the Hat!!!

There was little to no line for this one so we hopped on without waiting, I think there were about 10 people not in the EP line.....yes, we still use EP even with no one around!!! Why not.

It`s an odd one for sure, as I mention often, we were not brought up knowing Dr Seuss stories, so they are a little unique to most Brits and the ride is one to enjoy in it`s simplicity, no fancy shows or tricks, no screens and no live action, just a melange of scenes from his imagination which is probably best described as unique.

We like it though and there are plenty of adults that go on without kids, someone said to us they feel a little awkward going as an adult on a kiddie ride.....nope, never gave it a thought and neither do the TM`s.

This is where we got stuck. Not the worst ride or place to stop but we found it funny and reminisced about the time we did get stuck on Space Mountain many moons ago, it wasn`t for long and the lights didn`t come on, but we were there for a few minutes and this one was the same today. At least we wouldn`t have far to climb if we had to get off unlike the poor folks we saw once have to climb out the cars when RRR stuck at the top!!!! I`m not sure I could have moved at all to be honest if that had been us, nope, I`ll wait, would have been my response!

I did like their Christmas tree in the store as you exited the ride.

Thing 1 & 2 have never been something we`ve ever been interested in so the merchandise is not something we pay attention to, but it is a very vivid store to walk around.

Again, being in the parks mainly in the morning, we can miss a lot of the characters out and wandering around, so today it was nice to see so many Who`s around and they are amazing with their characters, a lot of fun and the make up when you get up close is incredible!!

They know their audience and their humour can vary to suit the person, and this lady had me rolling with laughter, she was very funny!!

We headed onto the Trolley Train now and this is one we do enjoy, the views over the park is lovely and you can see a lot as you slowly meander around.

Not at all ladylike climbing in and out of the train though....... If you are wearing a skirt or dress, make sure you wear comfort/modesty shorts underneath!

We hadn`t been on Hulk many times this visit, not that we don`t like it, I do find a little like RRR, it knocks me funny and can make me feel a little off for an hour or so and as we`ve ridden it so many times over the years, we don`t mind missing it. But, my goodness it is still an amazing ride with one of the best take starts to a ride anywhere.

We might not like the restaurant food very much, but the building never fails to impress when you see it.

Going back through Seuss the characters were still wandering around and their interactions were so much fun to watch, although there were a couple of little ones who were a little unsure on their faces, but generally they are incredibly popular.

As we were heading out of the park, I saw a face we knew and he was waving to us too, David was another TM we had known for many years but was now behind the scenes, way behind the scenes so we very rarely saw him, but we managed to chat for a bit and we had a laugh as one of his favourite events is not HHN as we had once thought, but Mardi Gras was his time of year and we always tell him we did two MG trips over two years and it`s not our favourite time of year and have no interest in going back again, he thinks it`s funny but does see why it kinda bored us after two trips. I know right now he`ll be enjoying it, but we`ll never venture back that time of year for MG.

He was with a group of folks so we said we`d email soon and he headed off and we started to walk home, it was mid to late afternoon by now but not any cooler, we do enjoy the walk back from the parks though.

The RP pool is beautiful and looked especially stunning today, and fairly quiet, something we very rarely do is spend time around a pool during the day, we`re more moon bathers!!

I saw someone waving heartily at us as we walked round the pool to get out, it was Ruth and her daughter enjoying some pool time on this gorgeous day and they did look very relaxed I have to say!!

We headed upstairs and caught up on some emails and then we both hit the shower before heading down to the Club Lounge.

It was fairly busy to begin with tonight but quietened down a little towards the last hour or so, we didn`t take notice of the food tonight at all, instead having a couple of glasses of wine as Tom wasn`t driving tonight, we were heading out to a Longhorn that had been recommended to us by a couple of local TM`s so we enjoyed our usual couple of hours in there chatting and laughing with everyone as well as mooching on our ipads too....always nice.

Before we left we chatted personally to a couple of the TM`s there, they genuinely are the kindest ladies.

We said our goodnights and headed down to the lobby to order our Uber which was about 5 minutes away, we waited outside as it was still warm tonight and our Uber driver had the demeanour of someone who had just been given the worst news imaginable!! It was a little uncomfortable as I swear this man looked as if he was going to burst into tears at any moment, we were glad the journey was only around 10 minutes or so with lights!! But, when we got out he suddenly became very animated and expressed great delight in driving us tonight, I guess he was thinking of his tip!!

The Longhorn we went to was in Oak Ridge Rd, which is one of the newer areas that have popped up over the last few years but we had never gone to this one before as we always went to LBV, but we had been a little disappointed with it last couple of visits and wanted to try another one so we hoped this would be perfect.

Longhorn is a reasonably priced chain, nothing fancy but the steaks have always been decent for the price, and on occasions we have enjoyed the steaks from here more than the $60/70 Ocean Prime ones, so we are happy to eat here and looked forward to this tonight.

We had a nice table and our waitress was everything you`d want in someone looking after you, she chatted immediately and had the usual pleasantries as we ordered drinks, we chose a bottle of wine and some water then she asked if we had been here before so we very briefly explained the other LH hadn`t cooked our steaks properly and jokingly asked how the chef was in here for doing a medium rare steak......she burst out laughing and said he was exceptional but had to say that as he was her husband......lol......she said she`d make sure they were beyond perfect for us.

The bread here is very nice, I don`t have a lot of it, but do have half a slice now and again, but Tom and Kyle always enjoy it, it`s also very filling.

The wine was very nice and our waitress stopped by a couple of times to chat and said she`d bring her husband out to meet us and at that he appeared, very nice young man who said he`d make sure we loved his steaks.....and then promptly disappeared but we appreciated him popping out to say hello despite being busy, I do think our waitress is a woman you don`t say no to!!!

When the steaks did come out, our waitress asked us to check them and can I say, they really were perfection!!! I could have eaten 6oz filet with a spoon it was so delicate and perfectly cooked being almost rare in the middle but still warm as it should be. I had opted for the sweet potato and mushrooms and it was all beautiful.

Tom went for the 12oz Ribeye and again, absolutely perfect, this really had been a good choice. She did make us laugh though saying she had told him these had to be perfect, no mistakes here......poor guy....lol......

We loved our meal tonight, it had been gorgeous and so well cooked and it had quietened down some when we were finished and we did chat a while to our waitress after we had paid. Everyone has a story and some people have had a harder life than others for sure, but when you hear the hardships and tragedies some have gone through and they refuse to be victims, it`s so heartwarming to see and this lady was one of them. Bless her, she said she didn`t know why she was opening up to us this way but she was and it was was very touching. She wasn`t someone who would weep and wail for attention, but a genuine lady who had suffered a lot and still soldiers on.

We said our goodnights and said we hoped to see her next trip, she said they weren`t going anywhere, so we headed out to where our Uber was waiting for us already....quickest Uber ever!!!

Back home we came through the lobby and one of our lovely American kids who used to be a supervisor in the lounge was keeping an eye out for us tonight and wanted to chat, it`s always lovely to see her and we did have a good catch up about everything that had happened tonight, she is adorable and I was glad we had managed to see her again. We chatted for a time then said our goodnights then we headed up to our suite and planned an early-ish night!!

Housekeeping in both RP and Sapphire are excellent, and the ladies and gents who do evening turn down service also do a lovely job of giving you clean towels and anything else you may need as well as making your room look incredibly cosy with lowering the lighting and closing the drapes.

We watched tv for a time then lights out and looked forward to a drive out tomorrow.

What a wonderful day! I love the pictures of RP pool... It's such a relaxing vibe there. I feel like what made our stay so special there was the staff. We have stayed at other resorts, but the customer service and attentiveness at Royal Pacific made our trip!

 

[schumigirl]

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 30TH​

We slept like logs again last night, the King Suite is wonderful for being really quiet in the bedroom, we never even hear the elevator noise when we`re in the room and when Kyle has slept in the living room even he said he didn`t hear it when all was quiet, and he can hear a pin drop from miles away!

So, we took our time getting ready this morning as we had a quiet day planned with no park time at all.

I often read and hear folks say they couldn`t spend 2 full weeks at Universal as they`d be completely bored out of their minds, but I think as we don`t spend every waking moment in the parks during our stay, that makes a difference. We never waste the morning sleeping and always get up early and do something, whether it be a beach day or visit one of the many towns around, there are so many other things to see and do outwith the parks and we enjoy them all. So for us we have always enjoyed longer stays and even in 2022 when we stayed 5 weeks in September into October, we were still never bored.

I came out of the shower and checked my emails and our friend Raymond had emailed to ask if we were free this afternoon to meet up for a coffee, of course we were. We had originally been supposed to spend the whole day with him, that`s another story and the plan had changed, so we were just glad to be able to see him again before we left, so we didn`t have to be back till mid afternoon from wherever we ended up going. Yes, we still hadn`t decided where to go yet!!

Tom gave me a list of suggestions off the top of his head, about five options of places we like to visit.......

​

So, I opted for Mount Dora. It was far enough way, but gave us plenty of time to get back mid afternoon to meet Raymond, so decision made we headed down to the lounge for breakfast where we had a nice time chatting as always and really enjoyed breakfast especially the taking our time part.

I had noticed a family who had been there a few days and their three children were among some of the most polite and well mannered children I had ever seen. They were aged from maybe 9 to around 14 and lovely and this morning I got chatting to the dad and mentioned how lovely I thought their kids were, he smiled and said not too many folks took the time to tell them that, then mentioned the Scottish accent of course as many folks do and said he had been there to play golf.

When I mentioned where we were from he looked shocked and said that`s where he was and immediately got out his phone and showed us some pictures from the golf course and the background scenery was very familiar with us. I was glad he had enjoyed his time there so much and he got good weather which is always a lucky draw when going to Scotland, or any other country in the UK too I guess. Nice family though and again, we`ve been so lucky for the most part in meeting some very lovely people in there during our stays.

We ate up and had some tea before heading back to our room to get sunscreen on and again our lovely housekeeper had already been in and gone by the time we got down, housekeeping is always wonderful in these hotels, we`ve never had one complaint thankfully.

We got our sunscreen on as we had been told we`d need it today, made sure we had the car keys and headed downstairs and as we walked through the lobby, saw a few faces we knew well, Cornell and Kelly from behind the desk waved and we chatted to them as we have know them both some time, Kelly probably the longest, but always lovely to chat to them and have a catch up. Cornell is very cool and Kelly is simply lovely.

Out to the car and it is warm already this morning, no hoody required today. The walk to the parking lot is only a few minutes from the doors and we can feel that wonderful heat as we venture into the sunshine again.

The drive to Mount Dora is around 45 minutes to an hour and I win the contest to drive up there today, and we both do enjoy driving in the US, certainly more when we clear the initial Orlando area which can be trying to say the least. Sure you have idiot drivers, but you have them everywhere, it`s just a lot more fun over here for some reason.

We arrive in Mount Dora and head to the same parking place we always park, only seconds walk to the stores and we`re there, hat came with me today instead of a hoody, much better!

In the centre of Mount Dora is this little park where it can host so many things, we`ve seen farmers markets and live music here and it does seem to be the centre of the town for events, it is such a friendly place, well we have always felt that way here.

The town is filled with gorgeous little stores, cafe`s and restaurants and there are plenty of them, most are unique to here na dit`s an incredibly pretty little town too.

We enjoyed a fun Ghost Hunt here in 2022 and it was a lot of fun, not sure I`d do it again, but glad we did it.

There are so many places to choose from here either for drinks and food and we`ve only tried around 5 places here and they`ve all been lovely but we did like the look of this place and of course with the Christmas lights it all looks much prettier than usual, even if they`re not lit up.

Our first stop is usually a walk down to the lake which is beautiful, even if it is full of alligators and one of the reasons we won`t go out in the boat they have down there, it would be safe I`m sure, but why take the risk!! Last time we were down on the pontoon a huge alligator just very smoothly swam past us not bothering on the surface, but you just know they`re thinking hey, there`s dinner!!

I always seem to get my picture taken at what I thought was a large purple house, and with purple being my favourite colour, of course I was going to love it! Then I noticed it was apartments. hmm. It`s still nice though.

We love sitting down on the benches here, it`s peaceful, tranquil and the view is gorgeous, there are folks out on jet-ski`s in the distance and a couple of little tooters out there too, very civilised, but completely scares the be-jeesus out of me watching those flimsy things out in the alligator infested waters!!!

The guy who runs the tours told us they`ll only ever attack during mating season or if they`re in a fight with another alligator!! How are you supposed to know if an alligator has the hump with another one or not!!! Just stay out of the water is my mantra......he did say the snapping turtles would be worse to come across. Not sure about that, so we`ll just avoid both!

There was a man sat on his own as we went down today and he immediately started chatting and he was a plumber that said every day he tried to get down here just for 20/30 minutes just to sit and enjoy the view which we thought was so lovely. He was from Puerto Rico originally and spent some time telling us all about it and encouraged us to visit even for a day, but I think it sounds like somewhere if we were visiting we would want to be there for longer.

But, he was very nice to chat to and he set off not long after and we had the benches to ourselves again and we do enjoy just sitting and holding hands.

We eventually headed back up towards the little park area and of course I am drawn to the Christmas Tree, love it and I do wish we had come up in the evening to see the tree and everything else all lit up, it would have been beautiful.

We love a wander round the stores here, quaint, individual and so pretty and a favourite is The Spice and Tea Exchange which have stores in many places but I believe originated in St Augustine and started up around 2008, it is a lovely store and the aroma as you enter is always an amalgam of scents from teas to spices to sugars, they all meld into one unusual but very beautiful bouquet as soon as you walk in the door.

We like to slowly wander round and stop to smell various items and we always purchase several items to take home, but today the woman working followed us the whole time which irritated me no end. If I need help or assistance I`ll ask for it, but everytime I picked something up, she would tell me how wonderful it was and bla bla.....the other lady was nothing like that and always let us wander only offering help if we needed it. I then said I`d ask if I needed any help....not firmly enough as she then asked if we had seen the offers they had!!!!

So, Tom knew what I was thinking without even looking at me!

​

That man knows me so well.......he knew we wouldn`t be in here long today......lol.....so after she tried to encourage me to buy something I wasn`t even looking at, we left! Yes, I will cut my nose off to spite my face at times....but I loathe pushy sales people and will leave anywhere rather than buy from them. It is a nice store though.

Tom said he thought we must have looked dodgy......lol......probably!!

So, we left with me very politely thanking her for being so attentive!

Even as we left she was trying to encourage me to sign up for their emails......that would be another thank you, but no.

I grumbled for 5 minutes or so as we walked back down the street, as you do but how can you be grumpy when you`re in such a gorgeous place!!

Our next stop was the wonderful Christmas Store we discovered last few visits, it is stunning and has so many wonderful items to see and hopefully buy something!

I wanted this immediately!!

The Grinch tree greets you as you first enter and they did have some lovely and unique Grinch ornaments which were very tempting!!! My usual statement of not being much of a shopper is wearing rather thin I`m afraid!

They have some gorgeous displays throughout the store, it is rather small but they managed to fill the areas to their capacity and there were several smaller rooms leading off from the main ones, and all were filled with similar beautiful displays.

We did pick up a few items, but I didn`t get the santa with lights as Tom reminded me we had something very similar in one of our rooms with a tree, he was probably right, but we (I) picked up a few smaller items including some festive tea towels and maybe a couple of Grinch ornaments and a single red bauble that just caught my eye. It is a lovely store and they let you wander without troubling you.

Even though it was very early, only around 11.30, lunch was on our mind now and we both wanted to go back to a place we visited several years ago, a Cuban restaurant called Las Palmas. We had really enjoyed it and although there were several places in this immediate area we`d like to try, this was where we ended up.

We got seated by the window and it was very nice, our waitress was friendly and chatty and as she gave us our menu`s she mentioned cocktails were two for one and my face lit up like a Christmas tree!!!

Tom smiled and said as I drove up shouldn`t I drive home and he could get the buy one get one free cocktail.......

Yep, that was never going to happen! He does like to tease!!

Strawberry Margarita for me please!!! And it was indeed, buy one get one free, although they did bring both drinks together.......I think I`d manage somehow

The menu is very, very nice and so many items to choose from but eventually we decided to share the Garlic Shrimp which included 8 large shrimp in an olive oil, garlic and white wine sauce with little rounds of toasted bread to go with it.

Something we`d never tried before was the Mariquitas which were thinly sliced green plantain chips that came with a housemade garlic mojo....

And when they said it was garlic, it was indeed, with extra garlic and a side of garlic.....

​

They weren`t kidding!!!! Holy Moly, you could smell it as she brought it out of the kitchen!! When she sat it down the lady now seated to the side of us laughed we would both have to eat that or there would no romance tonight.......lol.....so true, so we`d both eat it

​

We also ordered the Traditional Cuban which was Ham, Pork, Swiss, Mustard and Pickle and it came with fries too, so plenty for us to share.

​

The food was lovely, the shrimp were delicious and there were around 11 or 12 not 8 as advertised, the bread was perfect for dipping in the sauce too, the sandwich was very nice, plenty of filling and very tasty with lovely crisp sizzling hot fries.

The Mariquitas were just ok, and our companion from the next table needn`t have worried about any smooching as we barely touched the garlic mojo, jeez that was strong!!!

It was a lovely lunch, I would come back here again, but maybe not for our next visit but it is very nice and they do a nice cocktail too. We paid and headed to the car with the purchases we had made, minus the spices and tea I wanted to purchase too, but hey ho.

Back to the car for us now and we noticed the outside temp was a little higher than usual for the middle of the day at this time of year!!!

It did drop to a more reasonable 89F, but still not bad for the last day of November.

Back home for us.

 

[schumigirl]

What a wonderful day! I love the pictures of RP pool... It's such a relaxing vibe there. I feel like what made our stay so special there was the staff. We have stayed at other resorts, but the customer service and attentiveness at Royal Pacific made our trip!

I do like the RP pool out of all them around the hotels, it`s just the one that fits us best and it is very pretty.

Yes, the staff at RP really do make the difference to everyone`s stay. I often feel bad when you hear some of the carp that they have to put up with, but I guess that`s hotels for you, you take the good with the bad, thank goodness good guests outweigh the occasional bad apple.

I`m so glad to hear they made your trip even better while you were there.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Well it was a mostly nice trip to Mount Dora.
I also find the pushy salespeople just too much.
What is worse is when I’m clearly being tailed in a store, but then Mr. Worfiedoodles shows up and all of a sudden they couldn’t be more accommodating

You can never go wrong with a strawberry margarita, let alone 2!

That Grinch tree was just too cute

I agree I completely about getting into lake water in Florida — I’m just not going to do it That is their home and they are welcome to it.

I also won’t go far into the ocean I’ve watched way too many hours during Shark Week

 

[schumigirl]

Well it was a mostly nice trip to Mount Dora.
I also find the pushy salespeople just too much.
What is worse is when I’m clearly being tailed in a store, but then Mr. Worfiedoodles shows up and all of a sudden they couldn’t be more accommodating

You can never go wrong with a strawberry margarita, let alone 2!

That Grinch tree was just too cute

I agree I completely about getting into lake water in Florida — I’m just not going to do it That is their home and they are welcome to it.

I also won’t go far into the ocean I’ve watched way too many hours during Shark Week

lol.....we must have similar guilty faces Maria......

We have seen folks getting in the water on most trips, crazy!! I`m with you, although I did paddle to my knee`s in New Smyrna Beach, then Raymond told us it was the gathering spot of Sharks"R"Us and I never put a toe back in it again!! Week later a little girl was nipped in the same spot by a small shark......newsflash.....a small shark is still a shark!!!! I watched something months back and those darn things come in practically till they`re on the beach!!!! Nope.......if they don`t come into my home, i won`t go in theirs!!

That Grinch tree was so pretty!!!

Hope last night was fun!!!

 

[MadHatterBrooke]

The guy who runs the tours told us they`ll only ever attack during mating season or if they`re in a fight with another alligator!! How are you supposed to know if an alligator has the hump with another one or not!!! Just stay out of the water is my mantra......he did say the snapping turtles would be worse to come across. Not sure about that, so we`ll just avoid both!

You know they say if there is water in Florida, just assume there is an alligator in it. I'm with you though, I think I will just continue to steer clear all together. Lol.

The menu is very, very nice and so many items to choose from but eventually we decided to share the Garlic Shrimp which included 8 large shrimp in an olive oil, garlic and white wine sauce with little rounds of toasted bread to go with it.

That place looks amazing! The strawberry margarita and garlic shrimp are definitely both something I would pick to order. Yum.

 

[schumigirl]

You know they say if there is water in Florida, just assume there is an alligator in it. I'm with you though, I think I will just continue to steer clear all together. Lol.

That place looks amazing! The strawberry margarita and garlic shrimp are definitely both something I would pick to order. Yum.

lol....how true!!!

Yep, perfect mix isn`t it, those shrimp were plentiful for sure!! It is a lovely place, I`d recommend it to anyone to be honest.