Went for a brief stay June 28-July 1.
First night was at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal. The extra money was absolutely worth it as we bypassed all lines when in the park. As for the hotel itself, valet service was very helpful, as were all staff members. They were polite and provided efficient service. The resort is very well decorated. We got a good look at it as we walked to IoA (long walk but a nice introduction to the grounds).
Rooms were super. I slept so well on the comfy mattress and pillows were perfect. Loved the minibar and comfortable bathroom area.
A bit after arriving to RPR, we went to IoA. Later on, it was off to Universal Studios. Some rides experienced technical delays. Nothing too earth shattering, just a slowdown or two. Boat service late at night was perfect. It got us to our hotel quickly.
The next morning we checked out and headed over to Port Orleans French Quarter (changed from Riverside). I liked the small size (POR is huge!) We were in definite withdraw after the luxurious accomodations at RPR. Fridge and theming made up for the limitations.
Hopped on Disney transport (were in the 5000%26#39;s) which was close to the room and got to Animal Kingdom where we proceeded to get caught in a rain storm. We enjoyed the park anyway. We did get very wet on Kali but enjoyed it nonetheless. By the early evening we were dry and decided to bypass a stop to the hotel to go straight to Epcot. We skipped onto World Showcase as were so hungry. Had decent sushi in Japan.
As I%26#39;ve never been to Epcot while legal, I did not realize the amount of alcohol that is available. I ended up having drinks from around the world. I%26#39;m pretty good at conducting myself whilst under the influence, so if anything the drinks just took the edge off the sore feet and allowed us to enjoy the exploring and Illuminations.
The next day we slept till noon :) We first did a quick trip to Epcot%26#39;%26#39;s future world- the long line for soarin%26#39; was worth it. Epcot is definitely overwhelming, and in the hot florida summer, not so much fun. Much better at night. We then headed to MK. We stood in a long line or two but used fast pass which made the trip SO much more enjoyable. We stayed til closing. Definitely a day to remember. We also got table service..at Tony%26#39;s. Good pasta and great service made it a nice relaxing introduction to the park. It also gave us lots of energy to explore late into the night.
Last day was spent at MGM. Loved everything about it. Nailed fast pass so no long waits. We did get caught in a monstrous storm and had to buy ponchos to stay dry. Headed back to FQ for a quick dinner then got on the road for the three hour ride home. Quite scary going through the lightning storm. It was a treat to get into PBC after that stressful ride.
Good trip. Will not rush back to Disney, but definitely will do some more ';bar hopping'; at Epcot and back to Universal/IoA.
From our experience we recommend:
Use tourguidemike.com. We planned our visits based on his recommendations and it made all the difference in the world.
Bring snacks for breakfast and lunch. I saved so much money doing this and never felt deprived. After having done an all theme park diet and wearing the results for about a week, the combo of my own food and theme park food kept the pounds at bay.
Do at least one table service meal. It%26#39;s relaxing and enjoyable. You can book the day of, just go to guest services at the front of the park. Sure you won%26#39;t get the most popular restaurant, but its the experience that counts :)
Buy a parkhopper if you have been to the parks before. Since we knew the parks, it was nice to break visits up over different days and was great for when we wanted ';free'; evening entertainment. The little sis is not 21 so PI/Citywalk clubs were not an option.
Pack a change of clothes if going to IoA or Animal Kingdom. Being wet gets gross really fast. (I only packed a pair of shorts- which went to the little sis, and some extra undershorts which were invaluable for wearing with the sundress I had to buy after getting soaked at IoA)
Orlando trip report June 07
Good TR, Lana
I liked the bit about all the booze in Epcot - LoL, you should visit Broad Street in Birmingham - That would be an eye opener for you on booze
Lardy
Orlando trip report June 07
Orlando Florida or Broad Street in Brum ... now that is a really hard one for me, Lardy. I bet if you asked all the people from the UK which place would they prefer to do a pub crawl they would be in the same dilemma I am?
Great TR lana, sounds like you had alot of fun in a short amount of time. You should try Epcot during the Food and Wine Fest , maybe when your Sis is legal !
Party-
That is an awesome idea! I would love to get my dad to go for that one. Let me search the dates now.
Lana
Soho road ....
thanks for your report, I really enjoyed reading it, I wish more poeple would post their trip reports.
I will post mine when I come back in October but i will warn you in advance that i%26#39;m not very good at summarizing.
Sounds like you had a great trip. I never knew about all the adult beverges you could get at Epcot. We have never really spent that much time there. May have to reconsider. LOL
We are stay at Royal Pacific in 2 1/2 weeks for the 1st time. I really can%26#39;t wait to see it now.
Thanks for your post. It is nice to here about others trips.
