Your fondest memory at Universal......

[SpideyHulk24]

Okay. Here' s a new one. What has been your favorite memory at Universal?

For me, it had to be when my son got to meet Spiderman and they took pictures together. It was really slow, so Spiderman spent alot of time with him and said that they would fight the Green Goblin together and they both kept practicing their webslinging. The way my son's face lit up and the way Spidey treated him was priceless.


How about you???

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

You really wanna get me started? I have so many...

1.) Going on the Hulk for the first time. First time ever experiencing the launch on a coaster...totally freaked out, but loved it.

2.) Going on Jurassic Park River Adventure for the first time. In the picture my aunt, cousin, and I are burying our heads in our arms and my aunt's boyfriend and sitting there looking bored.

3.) Seeing the Ghostbusters Show for the first time. Different cousin was recording it and the Cowboy walked up and shook his butt in the camera. Great first impressions, I tell ya!

4.) Getting 999,999 for the first time. Ending up getting a "hi-5" from Dark Marauder after I bragged...I mean, told him.

5.) Character Breakfast at Confisco's. Have Cat in the Hat demand a tip and give us lovely entertainment (tap dancing). Thing 1 and Thing 2 trying to get comfortable on my neon yellow seat cushion. Grinch constantly trying to steal out food.

6.) My friend flirting with an employee at MIB and getting us a free ride...with TRUE FOTL (bypassing even Express). Ahhh...fond memories there!!

7.) The first 4 Ghostbuster guys to see any pictures I have taken from the show. During a meet and greet my mom literally shoved me over to talk to them and then walked over and handed them the photo album before I could say anything. Only one guy is still at Universal as a Ghostbuster though.

8.) Getting in "fights/disagreements" with various Ghostbuster guys...LOL as well as other encounters.

9.) Seeing my favorite Ghostbuster again and actually talking to him...a sentance or two...LOL...also having the "He's SOOO cute!!!" notebook incident, and the singling him out for a picture...

11.) Ghostbuster guys saying they saw or heard about my website.

12.) Taking my cousin to her first themepark ever. Taking her on her first rides and rollercoasters...and finally converting her into a Ghostbusters fan. Oh, how she likes the cowboy...


I have more, but thought I should stop there...LOL...this is what happens when you go as often as me...get too many memories

 

[damo]

Experienced FOTL for the first time on MIB after waiting in line for an hour the last time we were on.

Walking into the HRH lobby the first time and then into our deluxe room and feeling so good that we paid half the price of the WL.

DS getting 999999.

Eating Dippin Dots for the first time.

Mythos.

and more and more and more.

 

[Robinrs]

I have several, also but I have to say that the BEST memory was when my son FINALLY reached the height to go on the Hulk and Dueling Dragons! The picture I have of us on that ride for the first time is on the wall of my office.

The reason it's so important is because we first started going to Islands the year it opened in 1999. At the time my son was 6 and a BIG roller coaster fan! He as so hurt when he found out he wasn't tall enough to get on, he just lowered his head and walked away from it. I promised him that I would not ride it until HE did. He lit up like a Christmas tree because he KNEW that was a big sacrifice for me!

Well, we returned to IOA at least 11 times more before he finally reached the appropriate height. I will never forget how he JUMPED when the attendant allowed him through! Since it was both of our FIRST times it was extra special. He'd been sooooo patient, he even couldn't go with the group when we took the VIP tour.

I reminded him that EVERYTHING you want in life requires certain pre-qualifications and this is just ONE of them! Believe me, it builds character!

 

[Selina]

This is a nice one Spidey......


My daughter's face lighting up when she met Rogue, Wolverine and Storm - they liked her "Rogue" tee shirt and she cuddled Rogue and she showed her genuine blond streak running through one side of her hair. (I nearly called my daughter Rogue - but my mum persuaded me not to!! )

My Son had a first-time bad experience on Spiderman as it broke down and he just had a "shakey" ride in the dark....he was very upset when he got off. Well we were sitting down on a bench round the back of the ride comforting him when Spiderman appeared. He cuddled my son and was so nice to him, took a photo and when we went to collect it he spotted us again about 2 hours later!!! - walked up to my son who was carrying the photo and asked how he felt now and autographed it and hoped he would ride it again another time when it was working. Such a nice guy!!!

I have loads more....but one thing I ALWAYS have......that feeling when you walk through the turnstiles and I just stand there and shout YESSSSS!!! I'M BACK!!!!!! jumping up in the air.......

 

[Prince Eric1]

Well, I haven't taken the kids yet, so my favorite memory thus far would definately be the scareactors in the Haunted Drive Inn following my wife down the hall and being there when she turned around to reach for me. Of course, I was watching the whole thing and keeping my mouth shut trying not to laugh, but the way she jumped and look on her face...priceless. (ps, don't call me to mean, we went there to get scared and she got her moneys worth)

 

[WebmasterBarry]

My favorite memory is my first ride on the Hulk. Here's the story...

How I Learned to Love Roller Coasters and Stop Worrying About the Beast

The TV news show "Inside Edition" reported that your chances of getting into a fatal roller coaster accident are 1 in 10 million. Yet, every time I thought about riding one, I thought that I would die.

I used to avoid riding roller coasters. I chickened out on Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. I avoided Busch Gardens Tampa for years. If I didn't ride the roller coasters, I didn’t think I could do much else at that theme park. I did ride Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom and I was terrified. I swore to never do it again!

That all changed when I visited Islands of Adventure in May 1999. I initially planned to avoid riding the roller coasters. My main draw to the park was one ride – The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. I passed by the Incredible Hulk Coaster many times thinking, "I'll save it for later." Finally, I decided to ride it.
I almost ran away from the entrance, but I thought of what my mom said when I wouldn't eat lima beans -- "How do you know if you don't like it if you haven't tried it?" I never ate my lima beans and I still haven’t put them in my mouth, but I figured I'd ride the roller coaster once and if I didn't like it, I'd ride something else. There are plenty of other things to do at the park!

I entered the queue and I felt my heart pounding, my skin crawling, and my breath becoming shorter. Finally, I entered the coaster and was strapped in. I felt more scared than any other time in my life. It was scarier than my first date! As the car rolled into the launch tube, I want to cry. Then guests seated in the back of the coaster started yelling, "Whoo!" I began to yell "Whoo!" too. Suddenly, my fear turned into excitement and I was launched out!

I yelled "Whoo!" so much that my voice was harsh after the ride. I don't remember much of what the track looked like because I kept my eyes closed (especially during the upside-down parts), but I was having so much fun that I didn’t really care. At the end of the ride, I said, "What a rush!" At that moment, a roller coaster enthusiast was born!

I had planned to ride the Hulk Coaster zero times, but I ended up riding it seven times. I finally conquered the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain. I visited Busch Gardens Tampa a few months after visiting Islands of Adventure and enjoyed the coasters there. I’ve visited Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio – the roller coaster mecca – several times as well as many other roller coaster parks around the United States. I’ve joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts and the Florida Coaster Club. Even though I’ve ridden the tallest and fastest coaster in the world – Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster – as my 100th coaster, I haven’t found a roller coaster that gave me a rush like my first ride on the Incredible Hulk Coaster, but I find joy in each and every one that I ride.

Perhaps one day I will have the courage to eat lima beans.

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

LOL Barry...the first time I went on a rollercoaster was about the same. I was afraid of coaster crashes...first my brother and I kept causing the "rollercoasters" on Rollercoaster Tycoon to crash, then I saw a TV Special about rollercoaster crashes...EEK!!!

Hulk was probably my...8th rollercoaster...but still, I had never experienced a launch like on the Hulk and, being only 12 at the time, thought something was really wrong at first.

 

[nhrenee]

Mine is similar to Robin's. My 9 yr old dd (after 3 trips)was finally tall enough to ride the coasters this last trip. We did not expect her to be able to go on them; she just squeeked by!

An adults only trip with my hubby.

Meeting many of the Universal-DIS regulars at MG-Com back in 2001. It was fabulous that everyone was just as nice face to face as they were on the boards. Boy was I suprised how quiet Barryand Robvia were in person, lol!

Watching my girlfriends face when she rode JP and Hulk for the first time (she had no idea)

There are so many more.........

 

[SpideyHulk24]

These are all great guys!!! Keep em coming!!!!!


Fly Fly- Here's another one for your list:

It was the day you met Spidey and his wife!!!! LOL.....

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

Oh yeah! Forgot about that!!! J/K

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Feb 99 - Being asked to come in for "new hire paperwork"

3/9/99 - Experiencing Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and Doctor Doom for the first time. Wow.

(many times)Seeing a guest's face light up when I supplied them with Good Guest Service, regardless of how it was achieved. Mostly through Providing Information, though.

May 2000 - Being selected to open a new attraction in IOA.


July & August 2003 - Finding out I was selected as employee of the month for Aug/Sept respectively.

There are others

 

[Stepharoonie!]

My fondest memory was winning tickets to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights with the Cryptkeeper....the entire night I kept exclaiming, "I CAN'T believe I won these tickets! I can't believe it!" It was the first time I went to a theme park without my parents, so of *course* I was excited to run around like a nut with my friends!

 

[Nan]

I guess one of my fondest memories is from the first time we went to USO. Back then the only onsite hotel was the Portofino and FOTL was really "front of the line". In order to get FOTL you showed your room key to the employee at the regular ride entrance and then someone would whisk you through a sort of "secret" door and straight to the actual front of the line. The first time we did it we were sort of tentative and unsure, but after that we got used to it and really felt like celebrities. For example, to get to FOTL for Terminator they would take you through the door to the "Max Factor Salon". Don't get me wrong-Express is still really great, but that original FOTL was awsome. BUT you only had the FOTL priviledges until 12 noon each day.

Nan

 

[wendypooh]

Well........... what wasn't great!!!! I think for me, it was when my 3 year old....... now 4, got to meet spongebob, he LOVES spongebob, and when he got to meet him, it was awesome....... he was so excited he could hardly stand himself. Then he got to meet Jimmy Neutron, and go to slimetime............ he just couldn't control his excitement......... it was wonderful. Seeing it all through his eyes was unbelievable........... We can hardly wait to go back.............. Thanksgiving......... here we come!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

wendypooh, weren't your multiple rides of Jimmy Neutron part of your fondest memories?

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Wendy,

You are going back for Thanksgiving???? If so, lucky you!!!!

 

[wendypooh]

OH my Goodness............. Claire......... If I see you in nov. YOU are riding with my little one........... I don't think I could stand Jimmy one more time............ ha........

Spidey, YES......... YEEE HA, I sent another message about you coming too.......... didn't see this one.
I'm soooooooooo looking forward to it!!!!!!!!! Maybe, just maybe, it'll be my turn to "unmask" the dark maurader........ and be in on the SECRET of his identity.......... eeeeeeeewwwwwww ahhhh

 

[highlander447]

For me my fondest memory is seeing IOA for the first time and hearing the hulk me and dw just looked at each other and felt fear as we knew by the kids squeals of delight they where intending to go on every ride

 

[BonnieA]

This happened probably 8 or 9 years ago. I was with my father heading to see one of our favorites, King Kong. When we got outside the ride, we found out it was temporarily down but the employee said it would only be a few minutes. We took a seat in a bench outside and just people watched. The ride came back up a little while later and that same employee saw us sitting there. She personally escorted us up to the ride through the handicapped entrance (we weren't handicapped) and led us to the front seat of the vehicle. It made us feel really special. King Kong is gone now and unfortunately so is my father. But that memory always makes me smile.