Since we had closed Islands of adventures the day before, we decided to start our first full day at Universal Studios, where the open was an hour later giving us some needed sleep. The best time to ride is always in the morning at park open or right before park close...so even though it is vacation, the morning routine is rather full getting everyone ready for the day starting around 6:45AM. But on this morning I did have time to go down to the cafeteria and bring up some breakfast. So we got started with a semi-full belly and were at the park about 30 minutes before open. I really like the opening the gates before actual open time, as here we were able to be in the park and at the rope 10 minutes before 9AM. And then the rope was dropped and we were off...the plan was to save Harry Potter land for the end of the day, so we quickly rode Mummy (my favorite at this park), then Transformers (me and Belle reminiscing about the terrible 1 hour wait in a maze of rooms last time we rode this ride), then the Rip Rocket coaster (Ruby and Mom bailing on us here), and at this point maybe should have made our way over to ET, but instead we got in a long line for the new Minions Villain Con ride.
There are certainly many types of people at Theme Parks, and you often find yourself inline with people from all over the world. You may hear things that probably shouldn't be said in a line, or see things that are typically only seen at the beach. Then you get people in line with you that have a stench so severe that your nose cringes and face contorts to an extent that is difficult to hide. And thus was the family behind us in the Villian Con line. Magan described it later as feeling her eyes and throat burn. So once inside this line, we quickly passed a few people to provide some separation. And then we got to the ride, which was not really a ride, but a series of screens that you used a gun and shot at minions while transported thru this "ride" on a moving walkway. I am sure someone thought this would be a good idea, and perhaps many might like it, but it was on our list right at the bottom, and was not ridden again.
After riding ET, we took advantage of our Photopass and got some really fun pictures in scenes from ET. Probably my favorite family picture of the whole trip is the ET closet picture. Then we each took turns up on the bike, where everyone laughed as I tried to recreate my supposed emotions on this bike ride that I had been on so many times in my childhood dreams...I was scared, I was excited! Then we all laughed at Sam's picture with his green shirt blending into the greenscreen and looking invisible.
Continuing our loop around the park, we next visiting Simpsons land, and of course rode the ride that Aaron Oliver once fight to save as the Back to the Future ride. But his fight was not won, and now we take a trip with Krusty on his new amusement park. I have never been a huge simpsons fan, for one mom and dad would never let me watch it, but I do like the humor, albeit a bit crude. So in my opinion, the wait for this ride watching the scenes from the show, and watching the pre-attraction scenes are much better than the ride itself. When grandpa tries to tell the ride operator that he can ride, then slowly has a heart attack...pretty funny. Side show bob: "You're about to die." Homer: "You sound like my doctor"...Not a big fan of the ride, but the wait for the ride is great. And we did have a guy that ended up on this ride with us who was a big Simpsons fan...so that made the ride even better hearing his crazy giggling at everything that was said.
And after a ride of Men in Black, where Davis slowly got frustrated to continue getting beat by Mom or Belle, we made our way over to Harry Potter land for lunch in the Leaky Cauldron. We all got to order our own meal...after getting picked on by Sam with the previous nights shared sandwiches, I tried to splurge a letter more than my cheap heart wanted to for the remainder of the week. Each of the kids eyes twinkled a bit when I told them to order whatever drink they wanted...so we all got butterbeers and I got an Orange fizzie drink. Sam, like his Uncle John, is mainly a water guy. But unlike his Uncle John, he did try all the other fun drinks.
After a wonderful much needed break and lunch, we did some wand magic and visited some shops. I found the perfect place to rest in all of both parks...the dark alleys of Diagon Alley are air conditioned and PERFECT for a nap. But it was after this time, that I broke down a little when finding that the Gringotts line was about 60 minutes. The kids know that Dad not only mentally breaks down at the restaurant ordering kiosks, but when he does not know what to do in a theme park...it gets bad. Again, in the real world where Magan and the kids live, they are just happy to be in a theme park. I mean, not one complaint from any of them, neither from Sam and Davis hanging out with the girls. So this is what is happening in the real world. But in the dark depths of Scott world, is someone that is scared that they will not have fun if I don't get the next moment planned for them, and planned soon. Yet in these moments of indecision, dear me thank you Sam and Magan for your patience with me, all look to me for what is next. These moments are small, but grow large in my mind. So slight mental breakdown for me on this day (much worse on Day 4 if you are still reading there), but slipping back into calm mode we found ourselves in the line for Fast and the Furious
This was a long 25 minute line, for a very short ride. It gets a bad rap, but I smile on this ride. It is much like Kong, and both I like how they are done and how they make me feel. The funny thing we will all remember is when we finally got near the front of the line, the lady screaming "There is no middle door! Right and Left, just like Twix. I repeat, there is NO middle door". hahaha, she was trying to keep the line moving in two lines, but only when you got close you could see that it was not just one door on the right, there was actually a second door to the left.
We finally made it back to Gringotts to try out the Harry Potter Ride, and the wait was very long. I have a note that one of the kids did some crop dusting on this ride, and took out the whole tunnel with a breeze. I don't have a name for this note, so I will leave it to you all to guess. And then we made our way back to the front of the park to see some of the shows. I send Magan ahead to get in line for the Bourne Stuntacular, as I went to get some drinks and a refill of our CocaCola Freestyle cup. Then arriving at the show with all of them already in, they said I could not get in till the next show. I told them my family was already in, so they let me make my way over to the Fastpass line, and those guys let me in. We ended up with really great seats up front to one of the coolest stunt shows I have ever seen. It was amazing, then they had a technical difficulty in the middle, which required a reset of things. I am pretty sure Belle, Mom, and Dad took advantage of this break in the action, and took a little nap, waking up to gunshots and the action back on. Really really cool show.
And next we were looking forward to a show we really liked in 2019, and it was still a fun and funny show. The Horror Makeup Show is great, and we took a quick break refilling out coke after the stunt show, and were about to walk that way, when Ruby had a nose bleed. And a bad one. I ran to get some water to wash her up, while Magan took over with the pinching part. Magan is the best at the perfect spot to pinch, I really can't get this figured out. But after dripping blood all over the streets of universal, Ruby walked into the Horror Makeup show with a rag over her nose (just in case). Still a funny show, and I hope to one day get picked...to join on stage.
We again closed the park, riding everything except for the Despicable Me ride, but ready to leave for the night. I ordered us all personal pizzas, yes, one for each of us, then when we got to the place in CityWalk, we found that each pizza was about the size of a medium dominoes. So I thought we had too much, but did not realize the hunger that Sam and Davis had after these long days. We did have some extra, but not as much as I would have thought. On the moving walkway back to the bus, we followed behind one guy that just hollared "EXCUSE ME" to all the people that don't know the rule. Rule on moving walkway...stand to the right, walk to the left.
And then we were at the bus, and while probably not proper, I was ready to be home, and I had some internal screaming at the ladies on the electric wheelchairs trying to get onto the bus. Yes, I know...these thoughts should not be had, but when I watched the lady ram into the ramp twice not being able to get it up the ramp onto the bus...then they asked this lady to parallel park the thing on the side of the bus. "Somebody throw that lady in a seat, and park the chair for her" I wanted to scream, but the guy on the other shoulder said "Calm down, you will get home soon". And dear me if that isn't what they finally had to do. She sat in a seat while bus driver lady (that apparently just drove buses and never exercises) climbed onto that chair and also struggled with the parallel parking. (SILENT SCREAMS!!!) And finally back home for the night.
What did I miss? Ruby got her HufflePuff mascot which she named "Poofy"...telling me "she saw it the first night and new she wanted him". Magan with some strange conversations with Beetlejuice. Apparently, he asked her if Belle was his, and she said no, but then when Ruby walked up, she said, "But she might be". Magan has a really strange thing for Beetlejuice, and I will just leave it at that. The boys were wearing the new walmart shirts I had found just two nights before, and they were great for this day. Davis found a girly hat for a pony tail we said he should get. Oh, and hashtag the bear was coming out when I was going into the Jimmy Fallon store. I asked for a selfie, and Davis and Belle photobombed me. Then when Magan saw him too, he pulled us all into the middle of the store where he could do the splits for our family pic with #hashtag#. And of course we all loved getting to see Sara (no h, because hs are ew!). It was a great first full day!
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