Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler: Mardi Gras with the Mouse! Feb 2016 TR **NEW 11/25 *NEW TR LINK

[khertz]

Day 7 Continued: Friday February 12th

We had to pause when some of the superheroes started coming out on their bikes for meet and greet opportunities, and DS was excited to see Captain America.

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We were able to see where Captain America’s meet was going to be and hopped in line before it got too long.

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We asked DS if he wanted to meet anyone else, but he just wanted to ride Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. I took him on this one since he’d ridden a lot with DH that morning.

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When we came out, the characters were still out meeting and Spiderman had no line, so we walked across the street to meet him.

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Hulk was still a work in progress.

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DD fell asleep in the stroller on the way over to Seuss Landing, so DH and DS went on Cat in the Hat together while I walked around the dump shop with her.

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They found us in the shop once they were done riding.

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We were getting a bit hungry, so we went over to Hogsmeade to have lunch at 3 Broomsticks. DH had to wait in line to even get in and order, so in the meantime, I took DS and sleeping DD in the stroller to the back patio since strollers are not allowed inside. We found a table and waited for DH to come back with the food. The weather was absolutely perfect this day, so it was a great day to sit outside for lunch! DS got the kids macaroni & cheese with grapes and applesauce.

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That’s minus the grapes because I had already taken them from him! Lol
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Since it was Friday, DH and I had limited non-meat options, so we both got the fish & chips and a frozen Butterbeer to share.

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Not much can beat a beautiful day with a view of Hogwarts castle at lunch.

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While DS finished up eating, DD had woken up so I fed her too. The couple next to us finished up their meal, and approached DH and I with a coupon for a free Butterbeer soft serve ice cream that she offered to us for DS. After thanking her profusely, DH went inside to redeem the coupon.

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I thought we had a picture of the ice cream, but apparently not. Anyway, once DH came back with and we surprised DS with, he said he didn’t want it. Which, sadly, left DH and I no choice but to eat it ourselves. I know all you parents can sympathize with the struggle. Butterbeer ice cream is always delicious, but even more so when it’s free!

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 7 Continued: Friday February 12th

We decided to head over to Universal Studios via the Hogwarts Express since we were already right there. Unfortunately, this meant we were zigging while my parents, Katie & Rebecca were zagging. They had started off in the Studios that morning and were ready to switch to Islands just as we were going to Studios! So we really didn’t end up hanging out with them all day even though we were all at the Universal parks.

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The wait time for the train was posted at 10 minutes, but it probably took less than that to actually get on the train. That’s pretty good considering how backed up it can get at certain times of the day!

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A quick train ride later, we were in Diagon Alley!

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But we weren’t staying long. We were headed instead to Men In Black! DS and I got in the express line after a quick potty break, but it was a little backed up. It still didn’t take long, but longer than usual.

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While we were riding, DH must have taken DD on a little walk back over to Grimmauld Place.

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Once we found them after we rode, we went over to Springfield.

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London across the water.

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They took a spin on the Twirl ‘n Hurl, but DS didn’t want to ride the Simpsons ride. Instead, he was asking to ride the Woody Woodpecker coaster.

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While in the area, he asked to play at Fievel’s Playland, so DD and I found a spot in the shade while DS played.

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After he had played awhile, I took him on E.T. before going to take DD to eat. Once I had to take her to First Aid to eat, DH and DS decided to go on Transformers.

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Once they came off of the ride, they stopped to meet Optimus Prime! I love Optimus, but I’m really looking forward to getting a picture with Bumblebee one day. He’s my favorite!

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After their meet with Optimus, they went over to do Minion Mayhem, passing through some of the Mardi Gras festivities on the way. As the day was turning into evening, the Mardi Gras events were getting underway!

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 7 Continued: Friday February 12th

DD and I met them at the exit of Minions, and we decided to go do something DH and I hadn’t done for a long time, and DS had never done. We went to see the 5 pm Animal Actors Live on Stage show! It’s a pretty cute show involving tons of different animals like cats, dogs, birds, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, etc.

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Once again, it was a very cute show! It hasn’t changed much since the last time we saw it, but it is still pretty fun. Not something we would do every trip, but it was nice to do something new to DS and he really enjoyed it.

After the Animal Actors show, we decided to head over to Diagon Alley, making our way through Springfield to get there.

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This brought back memories of DS’s first time at Universal when he was obsessed with the “throwin’ up boy”!


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After exploring some of the shops and details around Diagon Alley, we managed to sneak into the very last show at Ollivander’s wand shop. We have done the one over in Hogsmeade a couple of times, but this was our first time trying it out at Diagon Alley. It is noticeably bigger over in Diagon Alley, which means it has a higher capacity and the wait time is not as long. But essentially, it is the same show.

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If I’m remembering right, the park was closing early this night for a private event, so it was about time for us to head out. We wanted to grab dinner at City Walk, and had really enjoyed Red Oven Pizza Bakery on our last trip. Since we couldn’t have meat (Friday during Lent!) we thought this was our best bet for a meatless option. All day, we had been working opposite of my parents, Katie & Rebecca who were all spending their last day of vacation at Universal. They had started out at Studios because it closed earlier, and then switched to IoA at just about the time of day we were going from IoA to Studios, so we hadn’t seen them all day. We touched base with my parents, and they decided to come meet us for dinner so they could spend a little time with the kids before they left to drive home the next morning.

It’s so cool to watch them make the pizzas there! Even DS enjoys that part.

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After enjoying another busy meal of DD trying to grab at EVERYTHING on the table, and hanging out with my parents, it was time to tell them goodbye. Since they were driving home, they were leaving early in the morning and giving them Sunday to recuperate before heading back to work on Monday. We were flying home Sunday morning, so we still had one more day to spend at Universal just the 4 of us.

We walked back to Royal Pacific and finally got to see our room. It was one of the newer renovated rooms, so the décor was totally different since the last time we had stayed here in 2013. I definitely prefer the old décor!

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Bell services brought up our bags and the portable crib for DD and we started getting everyone ready for bed around 8. It had been a long day! And we had one more long day coming up before it would be time to head home.

UP NEXT: The Last Day!

 

[Imagineer5]

n October, we had done Universal first and felt spoiled by the close proximity of our resort to the parks, the early entry, and the unlimited Express Pass. By the time we got to Disney, FP+ just didn’t seem so great compared to that EP!

This is so true, having the EP at the beginning of a trip is tough (esp for kids who don't really understand)

We went through check in, left our bags with bell services, printed our express passes, and were walking to Islands of Adventure by 8:45 am. We arrived at the gates just before the park opened at 9 am. Perfect timing!

That's great timing!!

The best part about doing rider swap at this ride is that we don’t have to put our stuff in the lockers. So DH can take pictures in the queue!

Yes, such a nice way (although strollers are also good locker spots, as long as I have a stroller I'm good!)

DH went first, and I started feeding DD in the child swap room while DS watched a movie on an old phone we bring just for that purpose. When DH finished, DD was still eating, so he went again. I cut her off for a little bit so I could go ride. Then when I came back to the child swap room, she wanted to eat a little more so I stayed behind there while DH and DS went to ride Flight of the Hippogriff.

I was about to ask how quiet it was in there, but then you said this...

I ended up not staying there long because almost as soon as DH and DS left, the kid next to me on the bench starting spazzing the eff out when his mom left him with his grandma in the child swap room so she could go ride. He was probably about 5 or 6, so way too big for his grandma to handle and he came close to kicking me and DD a couple of times.

LOL

We asked DS if he wanted to meet anyone else, but he just wanted to ride Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. I took him on this one since he’d ridden a lot with DH that morning.

That's fun! I look forward to Aria enjoying more of these rides and having an excuse to go back. I might consider it for next June, since Andrew will be along.

We were getting a bit hungry, so we went over to Hogsmeade to have lunch at 3 Broomsticks. DH had to wait in line to even get in and order, so in the meantime, I took DS and sleeping DD in the stroller to the back patio since strollers are not allowed inside.

Fun lunch - I still need to figure out how to get back to the back patio!

While DS finished up eating, DD had woken up so I fed her too. The couple next to us finished up their meal, and approached DH and I with a coupon for a free Butterbeer soft serve ice cream that she offered to us for DS. After thanking her profusely, DH went inside to redeem the coupon.

That's awesome. I'd say what great pixie dust but that doesn't work here. Hmmm...what a bit of felix felicis!

I thought we had a picture of the ice cream, but apparently not. Anyway, once DH came back with and we surprised DS with, he said he didn’t want it. Which, sadly, left DH and I no choice but to eat it ourselves. I know all you parents can sympathize with the struggle. Butterbeer ice cream is always delicious, but even more so when it’s free!

Hahaha too bad!

We decided to head over to Universal Studios via the Hogwarts Express since we were already right there. Unfortunately, this meant we were zigging while my parents, Katie & Rebecca were zagging. They had started off in the Studios that morning and were ready to switch to Islands just as we were going to Studios! So we really didn’t end up hanging out with them all day even though we were all at the Universal parks.

That's pretty funny, glad you got to have dinner with them later!

The wait time for the train was posted at 10 minutes, but it probably took less than that to actually get on the train. That’s pretty good considering how backed up it can get at certain times of the day!

I don't know if I've ever seen a wait for the train. It's about a 10 minute walk in, and that's the most I've ever "waited" haha

While in the area, he asked to play at Fievel’s Playland, so DD and I found a spot in the shade while DS played.

I love this area so much! Did he go down the water slide? (sorry can't see the pics )

After their meet with Optimus, they went over to do Minion Mayhem, passing through some of the Mardi Gras festivities on the way. As the day was turning into evening, the Mardi Gras events were getting underway!

So fun!

DD and I met them at the exit of Minions, and we decided to go do something DH and I hadn’t done for a long time, and DS had never done. We went to see the 5 pm Animal Actors Live on Stage show! It’s a pretty cute show involving tons of different animals like cats, dogs, birds, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, etc.

Aw I love this show! It hasn't changed much since I saw it back when I was like 14 and went to Universal studios Hollywood. Aria enjoyed it too!

It’s so cool to watch them make the pizzas there! Even DS enjoys that part.

Sounds great!

 

[smiley519]

Great update! Sounds like you had a fun day at US and IOA. I love all the pictures of the details in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Can't wait to read about your final day!

 

[missangelalexis]

Always sad saying goodbye to Disney! I'm glad you were able to get to Islands of Adventure for park opening!

I love DS' pics in Jurassic Park. So great that he enjoyed the ride (even if once was enough )

That's really cool how the super hereos come out! The family pic with Captain America is AWESOME!

Sounds like a fun day! It's nice that you were able to meet up with your parents to finish up the evening.

 

[afwdwfan]

This was my best attempt at getting a picture as we drove in.

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Well, clearly you were in a hurry. And this picture is proof!

The best part about doing rider swap at this ride is that we don’t have to put our stuff in the lockers. So DH can take pictures in the queue!

That's an awesome picture!!!

Hulk was still a work in progress.

So sad...

I thought we had a picture of the ice cream, but apparently not. Anyway, once DH came back with and we surprised DS with, he said he didn’t want it. Which, sadly, left DH and I no choice but to eat it ourselves. I know all you parents can sympathize with the struggle. Butterbeer ice cream is always delicious, but even more so when it’s free!

That's a rough one... I know it was hard, but I'll give you credit for taking one for the team there.

London across the water.

It is a beautiful view. And they did an awesome job with everything there.

Yet part of me still looks across that water and thinks, "Where's Amity?"

Once they came off of the ride, they stopped to meet Optimus Prime! I love Optimus, but I’m really looking forward to getting a picture with Bumblebee one day. He’s my favorite!

They're all pretty awesome, but I like Bumblebee too!

It was one of the newer renovated rooms, so the décor was totally different since the last time we had stayed here in 2013. I definitely prefer the old décor!

Oh wow... that's kind of... well, it's something...

 

[amazingact21]

Free Butterbeer ice cream and a view of Hogwarts...that sounds perfect!!
Sorry you didn't get to spend much time with family at Universal. But at least you shared a dinner together. I had been eyeballing Red Brick Pizza, it looked pretty tasty and kid friendly.
The new room decor looks...different. That's certainly a gigantic flower on the wall.

 

[khertz]

This is so true, having the EP at the beginning of a trip is tough (esp for kids who don't really understand)

Yes! After our first trip doing Universal first and then Disney, DS didn't understand why we couldn't just go on whatever we wanted as many times in a row as he wanted. This time, all during our Universal days he would say, "Do we have a FastPass for this?" and it felt nice to be able to say yes every time!

Yes, such a nice way (although strollers are also good locker spots, as long as I have a stroller I'm good!)

That's true too. DH loves being able to bring his camera inside so he can take photos in the queue, and it's nice getting to skip the locker step.

I was about to ask how quiet it was in there, but then you said this...

LOL

Normally, it's not too bad in there. This particular day, this kid was just not having it!

That's fun! I look forward to Aria enjoying more of these rides and having an excuse to go back. I might consider it for next June, since Andrew will be along.

It's so much more fun now that DS is tall enough and brave enough for almost everything. We are considering taking a trip just to Universal next year when DS has a break from school, and maybe letting DD stay with the grandparents for a few days so we can enjoy everything together instead of taking turns. The bad thing about tacking it on to the end of our Disney trips is that we have felt a little rushed by only having 2 days. The benefit of doing it before at the beginning of the trip was having some time on our arrival day plus 2 more days, so we could take our time. It will be tough being so close to Disney and not going over there, but I thought it might be fun to have more time to really explore Universal instead of rushing from one attraction to the other.

Fun lunch - I still need to figure out how to get back to the back patio!

If you're standing outside of 3 Broomsticks and looking at it, it's to the right and next to the bathrooms. There's a little nondescript alley entrance and that takes you to the patio! We didn't know about it the first time we went, and a TM saw us with the stroller and asked if we'd like to sit back there. Now we love it! Especially when the weather is nice.

This blog has a picture of exactly where it is: http://www.momsminivan.com/universal_orlando_tips.html

That's awesome. I'd say what great pixie dust but that doesn't work here. Hmmm...what a bit of felix felicis!

Haha Good one!!! I wouldn't have ever thought of that!!

Hahaha too bad!

Right?! Toughest job as a parents is eating the leftover desserts. lol

That's pretty funny, glad you got to have dinner with them later!

Yeah, we hadn't really discussed our park touring strategies ahead of time! lol We were going to Islands first because Studios had had early entry that morning, so we knew we'd be behind the crowds for WWoHP. They wanted to go to Studios first because it closed earlier, so they wanted to go to Islands for the afternoon/evening. It was probably better anyway, because with only one day and no express passes, I doubt we would have ridden much together anyway.

I don't know if I've ever seen a wait for the train. It's about a 10 minute walk in, and that's the most I've ever "waited" haha

We have seen it balloon up to 40 minutes before! We have typically been able to catch it 20 minutes or less. At least it moves pretty quickly, and it's a fun queue!

I love this area so much! Did he go down the water slide? (sorry can't see the pics )

I don't think he did this trip, but he had done it several times in October and LOVED it!

Aw I love this show! It hasn't changed much since I saw it back when I was like 14 and went to Universal studios Hollywood. Aria enjoyed it too!

Yeah, it has been pretty much the same for awhile, and while not groundbreaking by any means, it's good entertainment for the kiddos.

Great update! Sounds like you had a fun day at US and IOA. I love all the pictures of the details in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Can't wait to read about your final day!

Thanks! It was definitely a fun day. We look forward to Universal almost as much as, even sometimes more than Disney! As much as I like planning our Disney trips, I really enjoy the fact that I don't really have to plan Universal at all.

 

[khertz]

Always sad saying goodbye to Disney! I'm glad you were able to get to Islands of Adventure for park opening!

I love DS' pics in Jurassic Park. So great that he enjoyed the ride (even if once was enough )

That's really cool how the super hereos come out! The family pic with Captain America is AWESOME!

Sounds like a fun day! It's nice that you were able to meet up with your parents to finish up the evening.

It was a pretty great feat with 2 kids to be packed up, checked out of one hotel and into another before park opening! lol I am honestly kind of shocked we managed it at all, but it was a good thing because we definitely wanted as much time as we could.

He really loves Jurassic Park nowadays, so he very much enjoyed getting to really "go" there and experience everything! The themeing in that area is so well done.

Thank you! I almost didn't join in, but I figure we don't get many family photos in Universal since they don't have photographers everywhere like Disney does, so might as well!

Well, clearly you were in a hurry. And this picture is proof!

Haha We definitely were! It was a busy morning with lots to do before park opening!!

That's an awesome picture!!!

He sure loves his dinosaurs!

So sad...

It was a total disappointment to miss out on it for 2 trips, but it was totally worth the wait! We got to ride it a couple of weeks ago, and it was SO good!

That's a rough one... I know it was hard, but I'll give you credit for taking one for the team there.

One of the tougher moments in parenting, for sure...

They're all pretty awesome, but I like Bumblebee too!

I loved him from the first Transformers movie! I'll admit my Transformers knowledge is pretty limited to the movies.

Oh wow... that's kind of... well, it's something...

"Something" is right!

Free Butterbeer ice cream and a view of Hogwarts...that sounds perfect!!
Sorry you didn't get to spend much time with family at Universal. But at least you shared a dinner together. I had been eyeballing Red Brick Pizza, it looked pretty tasty and kid friendly.
The new room decor looks...different. That's certainly a gigantic flower on the wall.

It was totally perfect. Beautiful weather, and beautiful scenery for lunch! Free Butterbeer ice cream was bonus.

I LOVE Red Brick!! The pizza is so good and fresh. The only bad thing with kids is that it does take a little longer to get the food, but it was worth it for me.

The rest of the room design was tolerable, but that flower was just atrocious. And none of it makes me think South Pacific in the least!

 

[khertz]

Day 8: Saturday February 13th

On our very last morning of vacation, DD decided she was ready to get up at 5:30 am. Uh, no thanks, girlie!! She snuggled in bed with DH and I for another hour or so before we decided to get up and start getting ready for our last day. DH went down to the lobby to check out the breakfast offerings and brought us back a few things to share in the room while I fed DD and got her ready. We left our room at 7:35 am to make our way down the walking path to Universal Studios for early entry.

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By the time we got there, though, they were already letting people in so we joined the masses heading towards Diagon Alley.

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Of course, we had only one destination in mind…Escape From Gringotts! Since we had been a little late for early entry, we encountered a wait of about 30 minutes. But we got in line anyway because we knew it would only be getting worse as the day went on.

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The animatronics in here are top notch! They move so smoothly I forget they are not real goblins at work.

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I guess he got quite a lot of queue photos since we actually had a bit of a wait that morning! Sorry if it was too many, but I love that queue!

We took turns riding, and then stopped to get a frozen Butterbeer to share.

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We enjoyed the ambiance in Diagon Alley for a bit.

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We wanted to head over to Islands and thought we might take the Hogwarts Express. But when we passed by, the posted wait was 30 minutes, so we decided just to walk over instead. We passed by Transformers to see who was out and see if maybe we could see Bumblebee or Megatron, but we saw our old friend Optimus was out again.

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We got a kick out of seeing their Mardi Gras beads on sale for $4 each!! That’s outrageous! If anyone wants some, please don’t ever buy them at Universal. I will mail you some for free. Lol

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 8 Continued: Saturday February 13th

We crossed City Walk and entered Islands of Adventure, but before we could get too far, I had to take DD to first aid to eat. DS was asking to go to Jurassic Park, so they headed through the other lands.

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Their first stop was Camp Jurassic for Pteranodon Flyers and to play in the play area.

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DH and I texted when DD was finished and we decided we would meet up in Seuss Landing for some more rides. They had a scenic walk past Hogsmeade to meet me there.

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Our first stop in Seuss Landing was the Caro-Seuss-El.

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Then DH and DS did One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish together. DD and I sat out because even if you follow the directions on how to avoid the water, I’m pretty sure they totally lie to you and everyone ends up wet anyway.

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DS didn’t mind getting a little wet!

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Then they went on Cat In the Hat. I think it’s kind of silly that this ride has a height restriction, especially considering they toned down the spinning a LOT since the ride first opened. So DD couldn’t go on it, even inside of the carrier.

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DD had fallen asleep in the carrier while they were on Cat In the Hat, so DH and DS also took a ride on the High In the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.

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Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 8 Continued: Saturday February 13th

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When they found us and we had grabbed our stroller, we decided to go off in search of some lunch. DS wanted to play in Jurassic Park again, so we went over to the Jurassic Park Discovery Center to have some lunch at the Burger Digs.

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Because it was still a little early, we were some of the only people eating upstairs so it was nice and quiet. And the burgers hit the spot. Once we had finished lunch, we went downstairs and had some fun exploring the different dinosaur exhibits. DS absolutely loves this, as he considers himself a dinosaur “expert,” so he loves trying out all of the different exhibits.

First we scanned DS’s brain and his DNA profile and made him into a dinosaur.

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Then we did the section where you put a dinosaur egg into a chamber and it scans different properties of the egg and you figure out which kind of dinosaur is inside. I’ve always seen this the different times we have gone, but we had never done it before. It’s actually pretty fun to try!

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After a good time learning about dinosaurs, we were ready to head back to the room for a break. We needed a little time to pack, and the kids seemed a little run down after so many days without a break. Plus, when you’re in that close proximity to the parks with little ones it just seems silly not to take advantage when that middle of the day slump hits!

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After a pretty and scenic walk, we made it back to Royal Pacific.

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Our break didn’t end up being totally restful, as we had to have someone from maintenance come down to check our a/c. It had been acting funny the whole time, and every time it would get down to the programmed temperature, it would cut off and wouldn’t kick back on again, even if you tried turning the temp down more to force it to come on. So maintenance came out pretty quickly, and had it blowing cool air again after some fussing with the fuses or something. Soon after that, we were ready to head back out into the park again. We made it back to the Studios a little after 2.

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First stop was Minion Mayhem!

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Or so we thought. The Express line was sooooooo backed up! They actually had to bring out a sign way down the walkway to show where the end of the Express line started. No thanks. So we went across the street to Shrek to see that since we hadn’t done it yet. DD was being super cute in the line.

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It had been a long time since I’d done this show and I forgot how funny it is! I was a little nervous after all of the warnings because I didn’t opt for a stationary seat with DD on my lap, but it wasn’t that bad and she was fine.

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 8 Continued: Saturday February 13th

After the show, she promptly fell asleep in the stroller. So DH stayed with her while I took DS over to ride Transformers again.

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DS and I saw Bumblebee out! But I couldn’t convince DS that we should stop for a pic and I didn’t want to listen to him complaining the whole time if I did it by myself. Maybe someday, Bumblebee.

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Before I took this selfie of us, DS shook his finger at me and said, “Don’t forget, Mom. No flash photography!”

While DS and I were saving the planet from Decepticons, DH and DD were wandering and taking pictures.

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DS and I got off the ride at 3:25 and DH pointed out there was a 3:30 showing of The Tales of Beedle the Bard in Diagon Alley. Hoping to catch the Tale of 3 Brothers show again, we tossed DS into the stroller and hustled over there, making it just in time! Only it was a different story this time, which turned out to be pretty cool to see. It was the Fountain of Fair Fortune instead.

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After the show, we started in the direction of Men In Black. DD woke up on the way over, so she and I detoured to first aid for her to eat while DH and DS rode. Instead of leaving his bags and camera in the locker, I just took it with me, so this is a pictureless portion of the day.

Once they had saved the planet from an alien attack and DD had finished eating, we met back in Diagon Alley for the next Beedle the Bard performance which was the 3 Brothers this time.

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These shows are just amazing. The puppetry by the performers is incredible! And even if you know nothing about the world of Harry Potter, you don’t really need to know anything about it to enjoy these stories. They are like fables we were told as kids but set in the world of magic and wizardry. And they are pretty short, so you don’t have to invest a lot of time into seeing them!

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 8 Continued: Saturday February 13th

Our time in the park was coming to an end because we had to return the stroller soon. We were told that Orlando Stroller Rental couldn’t pick up and drop off to the bell services at the Universal resorts, so we had set a pickup time where someone from the company would meet us to pick up the stroller. We had chosen the latest time available online, but after touching base with the rep that would be coming to pick it up earlier in the day, he had told us we could keep it a little later. So instead of at 5 pm, he would be picking it up at 6 pm. I still wanted to ride The Mummy at least once, so as soon as the show ended, I hustled over there and got through pretty quickly with EP.

They poked around Diagon Alley a little while longer waiting for me to finish my ride.

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We met up after I finished on Mummy and DH was going to ride, but DS had asked for one more ride on Transformers. So they went to do that, and DD and I hung out across the street while they finished. She was being so cute! Just giggling at everything and practicing her new trick of flipping her tongue upside down.

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By the time they finished the park was getting really packed for the Mardi Gras parade and concert happening that night. So it was perfect timing that we were ready to head out anyway. I got a text from the driver coming to pick up the stroller as we were walking back to the resort saying he was running late and asking me to check with bell services if they would hold the stroller for him until he got there. They had no problem doing that for me, so I don’t know why they can’t just do that all of the time?

DH went down to the pool bar and got some food to bring back to the room for dinner. I think he got 2 kids meals because they are a TON of food and easily split between the three of us with food left over. DS and DD were practicing their selfie skills with my phone while we waited for DH to come back.

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After dinner we had a hankering for something sweet, so DH and DS took a walk over to Coldstone at City Walk to bring us back some ice cream! Even with it not being very warm outside, they were half melted and a total mess by the time they got back, but still so very good. Before we could put the kids to bed, we had to have someone come back from maintenance to look at the a/c again because it was still doing the same thing! They got the cool air blowing again, and we got everyone ready for bed and finished up as much packing as we could because we would be leaving very early in the morning to get to the airport.

Our restful night of sleep ended up being not so restful for me. I woke up at 11 pm and the room was HOT. The a/c had cut off again and wasn’t kicking back on. Not wanting to disturb the kids, I went down the hall to the front desk to ask about getting a fan or something to cool the room down since having maintenance come back or moving rooms was not an option now that both kids were fast asleep. The girl at the desk called and said they had a fan that housekeeping would bring to us. Not wanting someone to knock on the door and wake everyone up, I decided to wait in the hall. And I waited. And I waited. After 30 minutes I went to go see what was taking so long. And it was another 20 minutes before someone finally brought the fan. So I sat in the hall for nearly an hour! I can tell you, I was NOT happy about this arrangement, but we got the fan going and it was at least bearable to sleep in the room. We absolutely went down to the front desk to complain about it in the morning. Looking back, we really should have insisted they move us to another room after maintenance came the first time and the a/c went back to doing the same thing later in the evening.

Other than that, our early morning check out was uneventful. Thankfully, so was our trip to the airport and our arrival home! We usually seem to have some combination of bad timing and/or awful weather on our departure day, but this time it went off without a hitch and we had plenty of time at the airport for security and getting to our gate before boarding.

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And there was no hurricane-like weather on the way home either! I don’t think we were able to put DD in her car seat for this flight, but she still slept the whole way in my arms. We arrived in Houston, took the shuttle to our offsite lot to get our truck, and made the long-ish drive home. It was our first time taking an early flight home instead of spending some time in a park and taking a later flight, and it was definitely the right choice since we had a nearly 4 hour drive home from the airport vs. our usual 2 hour drive. Plus, with DS in school there was no taking Monday off to recuperate, so we all had to be ready for school and work the next day. We got home a little after lunch time and had the afternoon to relax, unpack, and get back into our usual routines.

Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has read along and commented along the way! I love doing TRs but it is much more rewarding when you know there are people out there enjoying it! Stay tuned for a quick recap post to finish up this TR for good.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Thank for the read! It was interesting to see some pictures of the Royal Pacific hotel. I have not been to any of the Universal resorts. Too bad about the AC problem though.

 

[amazingact21]

DD decided she was ready to get up at 5:30 am. Uh, no thanks, girlie!! She snuggled in bed

The only good thing about when they are that little is that they typically don't mind snuggling in bed for another hour. But still...that's early!

The animatronics in here are top notch! They move so smoothly I forget they are not real goblins at work.

Those goblins are amazing. You really do have to remind yourself that it's not actors dressed up as goblins.

and then stopped to get a frozen Butterbeer to share

Frozen butterbeer is the best kind. I actually miss the drink, more than any other food item at both Universal and Disney.

Then we did the section where you put a dinosaur egg into a chamber and it scans different properties of the egg and you figure out which kind of dinosaur is inside. I’ve always seen this the different times we have gone, but we had never done it before. It’s actually pretty fun to try

That's a pretty neat feature.

DS and I saw Bumblebee out! But I couldn’t convince DS that we should stop for a pic and I didn’t want to listen to him complaining the whole time if I did it by myself. Maybe someday, Bumblebee.

I got so excited for you there for a second! But, alas, Bumblebee alluded you again. Maybe when DD gets older she'll allow you to get that sought after photo.

“Don’t forget, Mom. No flash photography!”

You have taught him well!

These shows are just amazing. The puppetry by the performers is incredible!

It looked like an awesome show.

I woke up at 11 pm and the room was HOT.

Oh no. That's terrible that the A.C. had to be worked on so many times and STILL didn't work. Especially on a newly renovated room. And, not to sound snobbish or anything, but you pay a good price for those rooms...the air conditioning is something that should be working.
And then to wait an hour for a fan. Ugh. Not the best vacation moment.


Great report! Can't wait to read the recap.

 

[Imagineer5]

It's so much more fun now that DS is tall enough and brave enough for almost everything. We are considering taking a trip just to Universal next year when DS has a break from school, and maybe letting DD stay with the grandparents for a few days so we can enjoy everything together instead of taking turns. The bad thing about tacking it on to the end of our Disney trips is that we have felt a little rushed by only having 2 days. The benefit of doing it before at the beginning of the trip was having some time on our arrival day plus 2 more days, so we could take our time. It will be tough being so close to Disney and not going over there, but I thought it might be fun to have more time to really explore Universal instead of rushing from one attraction to the other.

That sounds like so much fun, and a treat for him too to go with just you guys! As soon as Aria shows interest in HP and Universal I'd love to do something like that (and later do it with Maya and new baby separately). The new water park sounds amazing too!

If you're standing outside of 3 Broomsticks and looking at it, it's to the right and next to the bathrooms. There's a little nondescript alley entrance and that takes you to the patio! We didn't know about it the first time we went, and a TM saw us with the stroller and asked if we'd like to sit back there. Now we love it! Especially when the weather is nice.

I can picture that, thank you! I have never been down that alleyway, and no TM has ever mentioned it either lol but good to know esp with a sleeping baby.

We have seen it balloon up to 40 minutes before! We have typically been able to catch it 20 minutes or less. At least it moves pretty quickly, and it's a fun queue!

Wow! It is a neat queue, but I'm surprised that you've seen such a wait.

Of course, we had only one destination in mind…Escape From Gringotts! Since we had been a little late for early entry, we encountered a wait of about 30 minutes. But we got in line anyway because we knew it would only be getting worse as the day went on.

30 minutes isn't too bad, but can you not enter the single rider line intending to use the rider switch area? (Not sure on this so figured I'd ask).

We got a kick out of seeing their Mardi Gras beads on sale for $4 each!! That’s outrageous! If anyone wants some, please don’t ever buy them at Universal. I will mail you some for free. Lol

LOL that's funny. Speaking of those, they are a staple in my bag whenever we go places. Maya LOVES playing with them. On our flight to Disneyland they were a lifesaver and my mom had to impart "you're letting her chew on those made in china beads?" why yes mother, I did let her, and didn't think twice about it because it kept her quiet

Then DH and DS did One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish together. DD and I sat out because even if you follow the directions on how to avoid the water, I’m pretty sure they totally lie to you and everyone ends up wet anyway.

LOL so true, it's impossible not to get wet.

Then they went on Cat In the Hat. I think it’s kind of silly that this ride has a height restriction, especially considering they toned down the spinning a LOT since the ride first opened. So DD couldn’t go on it, even inside of the carrier.

Agreed. Seriously. Same with the high in the sky trolley ride, if they changed the seats around there's no reason any age couldn't ride it.

First we scanned DS’s brain and his DNA profile and made him into a dinosaur.

Love this area, esp on hot days!

It had been a long time since I’d done this show and I forgot how funny it is! I was a little nervous after all of the warnings because I didn’t opt for a stationary seat with DD on my lap, but it wasn’t that bad and she was fine.

It is a great show!! So it's not like Minion Mayhem that little ones HAVE to be in stationary seats?

DS and I saw Bumblebee out! But I couldn’t convince DS that we should stop for a pic and I didn’t want to listen to him complaining the whole time if I did it by myself. Maybe someday, Bumblebee.

UGH! Paxton, you had quite the attitude mister!

DS and I got off the ride at 3:25 and DH pointed out there was a 3:30 showing of The Tales of Beedle the Bard in Diagon Alley. Hoping to catch the Tale of 3 Brothers show again, we tossed DS into the stroller and hustled over there, making it just in time! Only it was a different story this time, which turned out to be pretty cool to see. It was the Fountain of Fair Fortune instead.

So cool, I've never made time for this!

These shows are just amazing. The puppetry by the performers is incredible! And even if you know nothing about the world of Harry Potter, you don’t really need to know anything about it to enjoy these stories. They are like fables we were told as kids but set in the world of magic and wizardry. And they are pretty short, so you don’t have to invest a lot of time into seeing them!

I didn't realize it was a puppet show, I'll have to look at the photos tonight at home. Aria might actually enjoy it.

By the time they finished the park was getting really packed for the Mardi Gras parade and concert happening that night. So it was perfect timing that we were ready to head out anyway. I got a text from the driver coming to pick up the stroller as we were walking back to the resort saying he was running late and asking me to check with bell services if they would hold the stroller for him until he got there. They had no problem doing that for me, so I don’t know why they can’t just do that all of the time?

Yeah seriously?! That's sort of annoying.

Our restful night of sleep ended up being not so restful for me. I woke up at 11 pm and the room was HOT. The a/c had cut off again and wasn’t kicking back on. Not wanting to disturb the kids, I went down the hall to the front desk to ask about getting a fan or something to cool the room down since having maintenance come back or moving rooms was not an option now that both kids were fast asleep. The girl at the desk called and said they had a fan that housekeeping would bring to us. Not wanting someone to knock on the door and wake everyone up, I decided to wait in the hall. And I waited. And I waited. After 30 minutes I went to go see what was taking so long. And it was another 20 minutes before someone finally brought the fan. So I sat in the hall for nearly an hour! I can tell you, I was NOT happy about this arrangement, but we got the fan going and it was at least bearable to sleep in the room. We absolutely went down to the front desk to complain about it in the morning. Looking back, we really should have insisted they move us to another room after maintenance came the first time and the a/c went back to doing the same thing later in the evening.

Oh wow, I would have been so mad! Did the front desk do ANYTHING after the complaint? Wow. To deal with maintenance coming multiple times and waste your time with that, only to not be able to sleep over night then take forever to bring a fan?! They should have comped you a night.

but she still slept the whole way in my arms.

Well that's great!

We got home a little after lunch time and had the afternoon to relax, unpack, and get back into our usual routines.

Def smart to take the early flight out with the long drive and busy day the next day! I am never good about leaving a buffer day in there, and it always bites me in the end lol.

 

[skier_pete]

I am still astounded at the pace you keep up with two little ones. I wouldn't be able to do it. Looks like you had a great last day of the trip!

We will be there around the same time this year. We travel during Presidents week which is a school holiday week for us (Feb 18th - 25th). Because of the holiday week - we are doing similar in that we have to drive to Pittsburg to get a decent flight - it's about 4.5 hour drive. Honestly I don't even think twice about Mardi Gras because it is barely acknowledged up here in the North. (The closest we get is my church does a pancake dinner for Shrove Tuesday - which the same day as Mardi Gras.)

Your TR made me look up when Mardi Gras is next year - it's February 28th, 2017 - which is the week after we are traveling. Do we need to worry about battling Mardi Gras tourists (people from Louisiana)? Our plans are to only go to Universal during the week (21st to 24th) to avoid the President weekend crowds on the 18th-20th, but that should also avoid any Mardi Gras crowds, right? Aren't kids in LA are off the actual week of Mardi Gras?

 

[khertz]

Thank for the read! It was interesting to see some pictures of the Royal Pacific hotel. I have not been to any of the Universal resorts. Too bad about the AC problem though.

Thanks for following along! We have always had great stays at Universal resorts before this particular stay. It really ended our overall wonderful trip on a sour note. But we have had wonderful stays at Royal Pacific before, so I'm not ready to write it off entirely. I'm hoping that was just a one off incident.

The only good thing about when they are that little is that they typically don't mind snuggling in bed for another hour. But still...that's early!

Those goblins are amazing. You really do have to remind yourself that it's not actors dressed up as goblins.

Frozen butterbeer is the best kind. I actually miss the drink, more than any other food item at both Universal and Disney.

That's a pretty neat feature.

I got so excited for you there for a second! But, alas, Bumblebee alluded you again. Maybe when DD gets older she'll allow you to get that sought after photo.

You have taught him well!

It looked like an awesome show.

Oh no. That's terrible that the A.C. had to be worked on so many times and STILL didn't work. Especially on a newly renovated room. And, not to sound snobbish or anything, but you pay a good price for those rooms...the air conditioning is something that should be working.
And then to wait an hour for a fan. Ugh. Not the best vacation moment.


Great report! Can't wait to read the recap.

That's so very true. It worked fine at 6 months old, but wouldn't work as well now. Luckily, she loves her sleep, so we don't have as many super early wakeups, especially on vacation when she is so tired from all of the park days!

The goblins are truly incredible. They really enhance the entire experience!

I LIVE for frozen Butterbeer!! It’s one of my absolute favorite things about visiting Universal Orlando. Truly. There’s nothing better than enjoying one while walking through the Wizarding World!

We had seen this activity every time we checked out the Discovery Center but never tried it out. DS thought it was a lot of fun!

I can only hope DD will finally share my love for Bumblebee one day!

LOL! Apparently he had been telling DH that a lot on the rides when he would take his camera out. He felt the need to remind me as well!

The shows are really fantastic. I had only every heard about the 3 Brothers show, so I thought that was all they did. It was a nice surprise to get to experience the other show too.

You are totally right, and it was exactly what I was thinking as I sat down in the hall waiting for that damn fan. I really hated hearing the excuse that housekeeping was backed up at 11 pm. It seems like a guest issue would take precedence over whatever else they could be doing that late at night. It’s not like they were turning over rooms at 11 pm.

Thanks for following!

That sounds like so much fun, and a treat for him too to go with just you guys! As soon as Aria shows interest in HP and Universal I'd love to do something like that (and later do it with Maya and new baby separately). The new water park sounds amazing too!

I can picture that, thank you! I have never been down that alleyway, and no TM has ever mentioned it either lol but good to know esp with a sleeping baby.

Wow! It is a neat queue, but I'm surprised that you've seen such a wait.

30 minutes isn't too bad, but can you not enter the single rider line intending to use the rider switch area? (Not sure on this so figured I'd ask).

LOL that's funny. Speaking of those, they are a staple in my bag whenever we go places. Maya LOVES playing with them. On our flight to Disneyland they were a lifesaver and my mom had to impart "you're letting her chew on those made in china beads?" why yes mother, I did let her, and didn't think twice about it because it kept her quiet

LOL so true, it's impossible not to get wet.



Agreed. Seriously. Same with the high in the sky trolley ride, if they changed the seats around there's no reason any age couldn't ride it.

Love this area, esp on hot days!

It is a great show!! So it's not like Minion Mayhem that little ones HAVE to be in stationary seats?

UGH! Paxton, you had quite the attitude mister!

So cool, I've never made time for this!

I didn't realize it was a puppet show, I'll have to look at the photos tonight at home. Aria might actually enjoy it.

Yeah seriously?! That's sort of annoying.

Oh wow, I would have been so mad! Did the front desk do ANYTHING after the complaint? Wow. To deal with maintenance coming multiple times and waste your time with that, only to not be able to sleep over night then take forever to bring a fan?! They should have comped you a night.

Well that's great!

Def smart to take the early flight out with the long drive and busy day the next day! I am never good about leaving a buffer day in there, and it always bites me in the end lol.

I really hope we can make it happen! I think he would love the time with just us, and of course we would have to do something with DD later on when she is older too. I know I will feel bad leaving her home, but knowing it’s not really a “family vacation” and that there isn’t much she can enjoy there just yet will help make it a little easier to leave her.

Yeah, it’s perfect for sleeping babies! And not very loud or crowded back there.

I remember asking, and at least at Gringotts, you can’t do both baby swap and single rider because the lines don’t meet up. Or maybe it was Forbidden Journey?? I’m pretty sure we asked and it couldn’t be done though.

Haha! I had found myself letting Delilah chew on things or play with things I never would have let Paxton do as the first child, and now I’m like, “If it keeps her happy and entertained and won’t hurt her…go right ahead, baby girl.”

YES! I remember being so surprised that the trolley train ride had a height restriction the first time we took DS. Before bringing him, it had really never occurred to me to check because I wrongly assumed everything in Seuss Landing would be okay for any ages.

It is really great to get out of the heat, and kids love dinosaurs, so it’s really a win-win!

He really frustrated me a lot on this trip! But I’m happy to say he was a lot better in October.

The shows are just beautifully performed! It’s really good for naptime too, because it’s in that dark corner of Diagon Alley that is pretty sheltered from the sun. It’s a lot like the Nemo show with those style puppets but on a smaller scale. And shorter. DS really enjoyed it on this trip.

It was weird. Bell services didn’t even hesitate when I asked them if they could hold it, just asked which company would be picking it up. Kind of annoying, but I was glad the driver was willing to work with me on the time so we didn’t have to rush it back as early as we thought we would.

I was PISSED. There was no comp at all. Just an apology from the front desk when DH checked out and complained about it again in the morning, and an apology email when we wrote to guest services about it. Not that I expected anything, I guess, but it all felt like a rather generic response.

We had been bitten hard too many times by trying to squeeze those extra few hours of fun! Now that DS is in school, it’s a little easier to pull the trigger on those early morning flights to get home at a decent time. It’s not like when he was in daycare and we could all just take the next day off to recuperate.

I am still astounded at the pace you keep up with two little ones. I wouldn't be able to do it. Looks like you had a great last day of the trip!

We will be there around the same time this year. We travel during Presidents week which is a school holiday week for us (Feb 18th - 25th). Because of the holiday week - we are doing similar in that we have to drive to Pittsburg to get a decent flight - it's about 4.5 hour drive. Honestly I don't even think twice about Mardi Gras because it is barely acknowledged up here in the North. (The closest we get is my church does a pancake dinner for Shrove Tuesday - which the same day as Mardi Gras.)

Your TR made me look up when Mardi Gras is next year - it's February 28th, 2017 - which is the week after we are traveling. Do we need to worry about battling Mardi Gras tourists (people from Louisiana)? Our plans are to only go to Universal during the week (21st to 24th) to avoid the President weekend crowds on the 18th-20th, but that should also avoid any Mardi Gras crowds, right? Aren't kids in LA are off the actual week of Mardi Gras?

On this trip in particular, I think the weather helped a lot. Even though it was cold for a lot of it, it was easier to keep going during the day without a break with it not being so terribly hot as it had been in October. And the kids handle it well, so when the day may come that they don’t, we’ll have to adjust accordingly!

You should be fine. There will be some overlap on your last weekend, but since most people from Louisiana seem to drive, they will be arriving in droves late Saturday and into Sunday, most likely. They have off the actual week of Mardi Gras. And if you do happen to see some, they might give you some beads! lol