We arrived at Universal one summers afternoon just as the storm clouds opened, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they moved off we parked the car and decided to make our way along the walkways from the car park. Well lets say that the storm didn’t move off as quickly as we hoped so we were stuck there for a little while as it was raining that hard it wasn’t worth getting wet for, but true to style the rain relented and we made our way toward Islands of Adventure.

However before we made it Margaritaville called us over, as it was still a little wet we went in and decided to have a margarita.  We had promised ourselves that we would try one this year.

It was early in the afternoon, no plans of driving until that evening so we thought why not? Having never tried a margarita before it was going to be an experience.

We were pleasantly surprised by the great welcome we got from the bartender who said it was fine for our boys to sit at the bar, it was quiet but we are used to “no children” at the bar attitude that it made a lovely change, to sit there and chat to a “local” so we sat down and perused the menu. Gosh what a choice? I can’t remember which 3 margaritas we chose but they were all very different and had great names. Next came “sugar or salt”? Sorry? Around the glass would you like “Sugar or Salt”? My sister and husband chose salt but I chose sugar and I think I made the right chose but that comes down to the individual’s choice. WOW, that first sip nearly took my head off, I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong, thank goodness we were going to have a lazy afternoon at the park. For some reason my sister decided against the Hulk that afternoon, (me I never go on it) I wonder why??

What was nice was that the boys could eat at the bar whilst we took it easy with the drinks, play on a bar game like skittles and we could all relax. My 13 year old has asked to return next year for a meal, so perhaps we will have to try another margarita?

My first surprise came upon entering the park as we passed by all the enticing establishments of City Walk with the huge roller coasters of Islands of Adventure looming ahead.  That was only the beginning!

As we experienced our day at Universal Studios, we found that a few of the old attractions had been updated and revamped such as “Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride starring You” which was formerly “Earthquake – The Big One!”  Earthquake closed in 2007, however, several of the main elements of the ride are the same incorporating a new theme and some additional special effects.  Some attractions were entirely replaced such as the old “Back to the Future” which in March of 2007 was replaced with “The Simpsons Ride” and “Kongfrontation,” which closed in 2002 to be replaced by “Revenge of the Mummy” which according to my son is a pretty “awesome” indoor rollercoaster (I don’t do roller coasters).  The “Funtastic  World of Hanna-Barbera” is now “Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast” which is a wild simulator ride through the worlds of everyone’s favorite Nicktoon characters (it was great fun though I had to close my eyes a few times).   “Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies,”  closed in 2003 to make way for “Shrek 4-D” which is a fantastic adventure with all the special effects you come to expect from 3-D (or in this case 4-D) that takes off from where the popular movie ended. 

Men in Black: Alien Attack was brand new in 2000.  You enter this ride under the pretense that you are at the World Expo about to view a presentation called “The Universe and You,” but you end up being an MIB trainee.  This ride is similar to the arcade-style Buzz Lightyear in Magic Kingdom as you travel in vehicles shooting up aliens with your laser gun trying to score as many points as possible – fun!

Some outdated sets such as the Bates Mansion and Swamp Thing were gone but the kiddie area called Woody Woodpecer’s Kidzone had expanded to include the Nuthouse Coaster and the Curious George interactive playground.

Sadly, the Boneyard had disappeared.  I remember how much I enjoyed viewing the discarded props from some of my all time favorite films.  This has been removed to make way for the entrance to the coming attraction, “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.”   Out with the old and in with the new as they say!

We had a great day and loved the new attractions.  We will no doubt return very soon!

We were lucky to be able to take our children to Florida for the 6 weeks holidays. While we were there we wanted the children to try different experiences and thought I would share them with you all…..but that would take far too long and decided to focus on the “NEW Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit ”

Our children are 11yrs, 12 yrs, 14 yrs, 16 yrs, 18 yrs old so we wanted to do things that they would all enjoy, one of the things that they all wanted to do was to go on the “new” ride at Universal Studios, “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit” but was not sure when it was due to open has Universal Studio’s was only advertising “due to open summer 2009” after arriving at the park on several occasions they see that the ride as people queuing, the park are now doing “test Rides” and decide to join the queue, they waited for two and a half hours and was finally sitting in the seat of the new ride.

Like most roller coaster rides the children felt it was over far too quickly, but loved the idea of been able to select and play your own choice of music of which you have to decide on before the roller coaster starts to move.  Once the ride is in motion, you start to climb upward to the height of around 17 Stories over Universal Studio’s, they children say the view is fantastic for the spit second that you see it and then the speed of the roller coaster starts, you have no chances of really hearing the song that you have selected due to the speed and the twists and turns of the roller coaster, your tummy flipping over and over, your head flipping side to side and the feeling of nothing really holding you in place.  The drops and turns of the roller coaster at speeds that is unbelievable, when the ride is finished the children got off the ride still feeling the rush of excitement of wanting to go on it again and again, the adult that went on with them could not say the same he reckons it’s far too scary for a second go………    

We have all heard that the Prices to the Disney Parks will definitely increase in the first week in August this year, The present Multi Day Ticket offers will be honoured, so it makes sense to look into booking your tickets NOW.

We hope they do not also increase the Parking charges!!

With all of the rumours concerning the 40th Anniversary of Disney in 2011 the price increase may continue gradually to offset a big rise to pay for the proposed new Disney Night Kingdom and the new Parades and Rides in the pipeline.

The Night Kingdom is said to be open from 4pm to 12 midnight and for Adult Adventurers there will be a special experience which includes Close Ups with Lions, Tigers and feeding the Hippos. A new Indiana Jones Adventure and Dining Experience sounds brilliant. A bit like the Swim with the Dolphins experience, it will be a limited daily entry, with only 2000 guests allowed at a time and 2 hospitality staff to each couple. The rumoured cost is $300.00 each.  

He has also said that the new Universal/Islands of Adventure, the First Phase of Harry Potter’s Hogsmeade Villages will open this December but with limited attractions. The Second Phase, with Hogswart Castle, The Forbidden Forest and the New Flying Cars Ride will open in 2010.

Everything sounds exciting, we just hope they can keep the price increases to a minimum.

Happy Holidays

Mary & Larry

I am lucky that I can spend 5 weeks out in Florida with my sister and my 2 boys, my husband will come over for almost 3 weeks but unfortunately due to work he can not come out for longer which is a shame.

We will do the normal Florida home-owners visit, work at the villa touching up the paintwork, replacing bedding and any other items that are warn out or tired.

Then the fun begins.

We will spend a few days at Universal Studio’s and Island of Adventure a favourite for all the family. Although I don’t like roller coasters I come in very handy when the rest of the family go on a ride and leave me with the bag, sunglasses and hats The Florida Pack mule I call myself, I don’t mind as I love to see them enjoy themselves and I do have fun and go on rides that I like.

Well last year whilst at Universal Studio’s my husband said that he wanted to see “The Blue Man Group” but unfortunately we ran out of time so we said perhaps next year.

Well earlier this year I looked for tickets and there were only on sale until May so I initially thought that they were finishing in May, but yes you’ve guessed they have of course added more dates during the year. However, I told my husband a little white lie and told him that they finished in May he was devastated. This enabled me to surprise him as I have since booked seats for us all the weekend before he leaves, which is just a week before our wedding anniversary and only my sister and I know. Only last week my husband said, “I can’t believe The Blue Man Group has stopped.” Hope he enjoys the surprise.

Then not to be out done a couple of weeks ago my sister decided to book us all a day at Discovery Cove as this year maybe the last time we are all out together as my eldest son starts work in September and will only get 2 weeks holiday during  August and this looks like it will be after his father returns back to work. Yet again we have kept this quiet.

My sister and I have made cards inviting them to Discovery Cove just 2 days after my Husband arrives and we can’t wait to see the boys faces when they open them, they won’t believe it as we said we would not return until the dollar got back to 2 to the pound.

A question which we remember asking ourselves before our very first visit to the Sunshine State was ’should we go to Universal or Disney Studios?’  And it’s a question which many guests have asked us since.

And, for us, the answer is very easy.  A trip to Disney Studios is a must!  But then it becomes less easy.  Because a visit to Universal Studios is a must as well!  Both of these parks are themed around the movies, and certainly they have similarities - but they are sufficiently different that, if your vacation allows the time, it would be a shame to miss out on one of these great attractions.

Disney Studios

This is one of the smaller theme parks in Central Florida - but a lot is packed into a small area.  Rollercoasters?  The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is sure to excite - and is right next to The Tower of Terror, another adrenalin rush.  Prefer shows?  ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Lights, Motors, Action’ are two huge scale shows for the whole family.  Love the movies?  Try ‘The Great Movie Ride’ or ‘Muppets 4D’

But this is only just scratching the surface of a day at this park.  Plenty of characters, and fabulous scenery makes for a busy day

Universal

Whilst Disney Studios offers a great day out, Universal offers more of the same - or rather, more, but with a different viewpoint.  Rollercoasters - a recent addition is ‘Revenge of the Mummy’, whilst ‘Earthquake’ is a different take on a ‘coaster.  If shows are the reason for your visit, Universal has some great musical offerings, including the excellent ‘Blues Brothers’.  But if the movies are what’s wanted, Universal competes with Disney by offering Terminator 2 and Shrek 4-D.  Again, this is only a small part of the entertainment on offer.

And The Winner Is

Truth is, whichever of these two parks you choose to visit first, a full day of entertainment, thrills, excitement and laughs awaits.  Everyone will have their personal favourite, but still enjoy a visit to the other.  And perhaps that is part of the reason for the popularity of Central Florida as the ‘Vacation Capital of The World’.  No matter what you do when on vacation, there is always plenty more saved for your next visit.

So there is no reason to choose one over the other, just a decision on which to visit first!

Universal Studios continue to make the news with another new ride announced. A new roller coaster called The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will open featuring six near-miss moments, a record-breaking loop and eight corkscrew turns. WOW!!

Rockit will rise 167 feet in the air, making it the tallest coaster in Central Florida with speeds of 65 mph and high-intensity, multi-sensory experience It will will be located near the park entrance, between the Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast ride and the Sharp Aquos Theatre where the Blue Man Group perform but bits of the track will spill over into CityWalk and the lagoon.

Supposedly, the most technologically advanced roller coaster in the world, utilising the latest digital technology, it will feature high-energy video displays in the waiting line and numerous digital audio and video high-intensity, multi-sensory effects during the ride. In fact you will be able to select your own music for the ride (Got to be a PUN here!! YOU MAKE ME DIZZY by The Matchstickmen.  How about some replies?) and create a music video which you can then edit and download before post on video-sharing web sites.

The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is the latest in a series of announcements made by Universal in the last twelve months. Already Universal have announced the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter”, the The Simpsons Ride and Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride…Starring You!

2009 COULD BE THE BEST YEAR YET for NEW ATTRACTIONS in ORLANDO get BOOKING NOW

My 8 year old son Jack is a big fan of action movies and he had seen the Terminator ads on the Universal Studios web sites and just had to see the action for himself. So when we arrived at the theme park and one sign showed Universal and the other Islands of Adventure it was obvious which one we headed for! The Terminator 3D film show was only a few minute walk away in which a very excited young boy would not be let down by this spectacular all American swash buckling boys own annual show. This was the first of five visits and he greeted each one with the same enthusiasm as the last.

The show starts off with everybody standing by the doors to a huge theatre. A Sky Net representative explained about the whole ethos of the Sky Net organisation. A film show reinforced the words that were spoken and this lasted about 10 minutes, you then collected your 3D spectacles and the huge doors to the theatre opens and you enter for the show. We sat at the front on each occasion and the show was fantastic each time, I know there is a bit of a child in each one of us at heart.

Once inside and seated the same Sky Net representative continues her talk about the company, then the action starts, after seeing eight feet tall Terminators strut their stuff all hell breaks loose. The actors playing Sarah and John Connor appear and a very life like Arnie the Terminator makes his appearance. The show last about 20 minutes and is a great mixture of guns, special effects and action all the way. The characters run pass the people at the front in the audience. My son touched a Terminator and he lived that show. The guns made the right noises and looked like real, even the smell of the cordite made the show seem real. The seats moved to add to the special effects, and a spray of water for good measure all added up to a show that was just brilliant!

On the one hand you have the more traditional film studio and special effects exposé of Universal and on the other you have the wonderful world of superheroes and cartoon capers. There are stomach-churning rides in both, but for my money Islands of Adventure has more of the ‘pzazz’ that I am looking for when it comes to escapism. You may have a different view!

Both parks are off I4 Junction 71 and are of course well-signposted from miles away. As you draw closer you can see the joint towers of Dr Doom’s Fearfall looming above you, and feel the excitement mount as the billboards showing Shrek’s beaming face multiply. Once inside the cavernous car-parks you ride the walkways all the way into the park and make your choice : left to Islands of Adventure or right to Universal Studios Florida. We usually start with our old favourites at Universal first - Back to the Future, Men in Black, Terminator (and even ET while it is still there!). We then walk past the lake and Hard Rock Cafe and into Islands of Adventure and start the queue for Spidey, the Hulk and the Duelling Dragons…

Universal Studios Florida

Our family has loved returning to the “old” favourites of Back to the Future and the Men in Black. The trip into the mouth of the dinosaur in Doc Brown’s De Lorean was a highlight of any visit, and we are wary of the revamped Simpson’s ride which will open this year. It just won’t be the same. On the other hand the whole family enjoys the competition of helping Will Smith find and shoot the aliens in the backstreets of  New York. (Well, ok, maybe I do take it just a bit too seriously, but these are A L I E N S for goodness sake!). Maybe just one more practice!

Jaws is fun, and Terminator is thrilling the first couple of times - especially for older children - but for me the Revenge of the Mummy was a slight disappointment (too rushed & disjointed with no flowing narrative) but this year I will be back to try it once again. The best, most wonderful and side-splittingly funny (and scary!) place here though is Shrek 4-D which is always a hit and has some ticklish surprises… One downside here though is the length of the queues to get in, and in the heat of the August sun it is very noticeable that there is not enough shade nor mist fans here….

That leads neatly on to another slight quibble. The price of the Universal Express tickets is hefty - for us almost the same price again as the regular tickets. That hurts. We did it once but in the future will just try to plan our visits better…

We still haven’t yet tried the Animal Actors, nor Twister, or several of the smaller attractions, which all goes to show that there is never enough time… The layout of Universal Studios Florida - around a lake and meandering through landscapes and timezones - is a good one but not as easy to navigate as, for example, Magic Kingdom or Islands of Adventure. Plan your visit!

(see our next review for Islands of Adventure )