Saturday, December 17th (continued) 
After enjoying our beverages in Diagon Alley, we strolled around a bit before moving onward toward Springfield. Our friends were not yet in the park, though the had texted that they were soon ready to make our way to the Studios from breakfast, so we thought we’d take in a few additional attractions before they arrived. I took a photo of London as we were leaving, just so I could remember how wonderfully uncrowded it was that morning. It was hard to believe it was only a week until Christmas Eve, when the parks would be shoulder-to-shoulder
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Since you already know that we love the Simpsons, you have probably already figured out that we also adore Springfield. We love the bright colours, the upbeat vibe, the straight-from-the-sitcom food options, and the music (yes, I have to consciously restrain myself from dancing down the street when “The Bartman” song is playing). It’s an atmosphere of unbridled fun, and we could spend copious amounts of time just in this area of the park.
We hopped in line for a quick spin on the Twirl ‘n Hurl. The ride was a walk-on, so we only had to wait until the ride in progress was over before we were boarded into our alien vehicles.
Next, we headed to one of my personal favourites: ET. I just adore this ride, even though its old and cheesy and probably as outdated as they come at Universal. To me, it has a kind of classic appeal, and is happily right at the perfect “thrill” level (or, as Steve would say, “it’s a chicken ride”). He enjoys it too, though, and we both considered it a good use of our complimentary Express Passes. The posted standby wait was 40 minutes
so it was well worth an EP use.
After the ride was over (and ET’s planet was saved……hooray!) we stopped for a Photoconnect picture in ET’s toy closet. Unfortunately, this one turned out a little out of focus: a bit disappointing, since it was the only time we stopped for ET photos the entire trip.
We had just left the ET gift shop when the text came in…..our friends were now inside the park! We agreed on a convenient meeting spot (in front of Schwab’s Pharmacy) and Steve and I made haste toward Hollywood. On the way, however, we did have to stop and admire more of the Macy’s parade balloons that were stationed on the corner outside the Horror Make-Up Show.
And……we ran into Beetlejuice on the way! Interaction with Beetlejuice is always so much fun, so we had to stop for a fast photo and animated chat.
Leaving Beetlejuice to the next guest, we headed straight to Schwabs where Kerry, Robert and David were patiently waiting for us at one of the outdoor tables. We exchanged an excited round of hugs
and introductions [while Kerry and I had been chatting daily for almost a year, this was the first time our families had been able to all meet each other in person] and took the time to just bask in the goodness of that wonderful moment. THIS was the Christmas gift I had been looking forward to most
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Now that we had finally all gathered as a group, we considered our next move. We assured Kerry and Robert that we didn’t need to leave for a while yet (they knew we still had to check in at the Grande Vista) so we opted to enjoy some park time together while the opportunity presented itself. We let David choose which attraction he wanted to take part in, and his decision was swiftly made: Barney!
Full disclosure: I have a soft spot for Barney. Jake adored Barney as a little boy, and we had every VHS tape that was ever produced. I knew the songs by heart, and for many years, I suspect I may have even sang them in my sleep. Even though Jake had long since passed the Barney stage, that big purple dinosaur still held a special place in my heart.
So, the four of us all headed over to Woody Woodpecker’s Kid Zone. We checked the show times for Barney, and noted that we had a little bit of time before it was necessary to get in line……so, not to waste a moment of fun, we encouraged the boys to ride Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster. Steve’s never met a coaster he didn’t like, and had never rode this particular coaster on any of our previous visits. He was a bit worried that he might not fit in the small cars, but Robert assured him that if *he* fit, then Steve would too. That’s all the convincing Steve needed, as our trio of guys bounced off to join the line to board. Kerry and I watched their smiles from the sidelines: we agreed that it was hard to say who was having the most fun.
After Woody’s coaster, we took our place in the short line for the next showing of A Day in the Park with Barney. We had very few folks in front of us, so we were able to snag front row seats much to David’s obvious delight.
The show itself was very cute, full of Barney songs (all of which we still could still remember the words to!) and with a special holiday overlay in celebration of the Christmas season.
Along with traditional Barney favourites (“We’re on our way, we’re on our way, on our way to Grandpa’s Farm”):
…..the show also featured some holiday songs and one of the adorable Universal snowmen.
After the show ended, the cheery host invited anyone who wished to meet Barney to join him over to the side of the auditorium. In a wonderful gesture of kindness, the host then made her way over to where our fivesome was sitting and asked if David would like to have a special meeting with Barney before the other guests took their turn. I am sure she had noticed how much joy the show had brought him (it is one of his favourite attractions at Universal) and we all thought her offer was beyond sweet. Universal TM’s rock!
Of course, David was happy to accept, so the host called over to the other TM’s who would be working the meet-and-greet and asked her to hold the line until David had time for a hug and some photos.
Robert, Kerry and David all hopped in for a family photo first. Then, Steve and I joined David for a second picture.
By this time, Steve and I were getting pretty hungry (our early breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express was starting to wear off), so Kerry and her guys agreed to join us for some lunch at Mel’s Diner. It was close by, we all liked the food there (simple diner fare like burgers and chicken strips) and it would be a good opportunity to get out of the noon heat.
It was pretty busy but we managed to all get a table together. Steve and I really like the 60’s theme here: from the vintage cars outside to the juke boxes in each booth, its well carried out and a lot of fun.
David, despite his slender frame, eats like a horse; burgers are his FAVOURITE food in the world. He and Steve are two peas in a pod in that regard. I’m not sure how many he polished off at that sitting, but it was fun to watch his complete enjoyment of the meal. Steve had a burger and fries while I had a chicken strips and onion rings. We both ordered milkshakes: chocolate for Steve and vanilla for me. We enjoyed it all, but the onion rings were especially good.
After lunch, we headed toward the New York section of the park: the boys were eager to ride the Mummy. Neither I nor Kerry have the courage to conquer that ride, so we were happy to tour around the charming streets while the guys indulged in some coaster thrills.
The Christmas decorations were so fitting for this area of the park: they were so
classy and were neither overstated nor under-done. We took the time to take in all the little details like the displays in the store windows: charmingly decorated and perfectly done.
The Christmas Store on the corner of Central Park was a hot spot, for sure: at this time of year, a stop there is a must-do for most guests. Where our budget was concerned, it was a very GOOD thing that we were in the process of moving; it was the only thing that stopped me from going minion-crazy and purchasing a slew of holiday ornaments. The less I bought on this trip, the less I would have to pack and move.
Central Park was equally as festive and adorable, all decked out in the most lovely holiday finery. Pine garland, cheery Santa hats, red satin bows and beautiful fresh poinsettias brought a special kind of holiday cheer to an already lovely section of the Studios.
Just to keep things fun, there was also a huge “Horton Hears A Who” Macy’s balloon …. the more balloons we saw as we toured through the park, the more excited I was getting to see the parade!!!
The centerpiece of that area, however, was the MASSIVE tree outside the Macy’s facade. It stretched to the sky and was massive at the base. Decorated very simply with shiny balls in the colors of red, gold and silver, it was stunningly elegant…..and I guessed (quite accurately) that it would be equally as spectacular at night.
The boys emerged from the Mummy with big grins and brimming with excitement: as always, the coaster was a hit! We had their ride picture added to our Photoconnect card……we would get our money’s worth from that purchase on this trip alone.
Coming up: we’re not done at Universal yet. We were too excited to wait until later in the week…..let’s catch the Macy’s Parade TONIGHT!
. I felt like Queen of the World and the bravest person in the park as we exited, and I think Steve was just about the happiest guest of the day
. Topping off the whole fun experience, as we wandered back out into the sunshine, we saw that one of the Transformers was out meeting guests
. To celebrate my "big personal accomplishment", we took a quick detour to get in on a photo. We waited less than five minutes for our turn …. so awesome!
. He would know, he's been on the receiving end of my wrath on more than one occasion!! 
You found us! Thanks for joining in! 
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. But you'll find out sooner rather than later just how far my 'bravery' stretched.
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