UPDATED: The start of a TR - slowly writing blog, new posts up

[PrincessInOz]

Love it! You and TravelMum have tickers in the same pantone range. So, it looks good together....are you planning on DisMeeting at the World?

 

[battymum]

Travel Mum is two weeks behind us, although, what are your dates for Universal Travel Mum we are there October 2,3 4

 

[Jade+3]

Another great update. We have decided to skip Universal as our kids are too young. There is always next time.

 

[Travel Mum]

Travel Mum is two weeks behind us, although, what are your dates for Universal Travel Mum we are there October 2,3 4

LOVE your new ticker Battymum - makes it seem all the much more real and exciting doesn't it? I love seeing my Pluto slowly getting closer to my Mickey

I think we are going to miss you but it will still be nice to be planning our trips together. I think it's amazing that we are going on the same cruise ship too!

Here's our rough itinerary:

29 Sep - Fly Wellington/Auckland/L.A./Orlando
29 Sep - 8 Oct - onsite at POR whilst we do WDW
8 Oct - 15 Oct - offsite, not sure where staying yet, with rental car, while we do Universal, IOA, Seaworld and shopping
15 Oct - Kennedy Space Centre
15-16 Oct - 1 night staying near Port Canaveral
16-23 Oct - Freedom of the Seas Western Caribbean
23 Oct - Fly Orlando/L.A
23-24 Oct - 1 night at a L.A. Airport hotel
24 Oct - Fly L.A./Auckland/Wellington

And it's all only 10 months, 2 weeks and 2 days away

 

[ehsmum]

Another great update. We have decided to skip Universal as our kids are too young. There is always next time.

We really loved Universal but I think you've made the right decision for young children. Next time sounds great!

My account has been upgraded so I'm back in business

http://clare-usa2010.blogspot.com/2010/11/orlando-day-11.html

 

[PrincessInOz]

I can see that staying on site is DEFINTELY the way to go and enjoy Harry Potter. That would be just perfect to be able to slip in at 7.30 am, do the rides, look at everything at LEISURE, leave and then come back again in the evening when the crowds are less.

Great update and I really loved your pictures inside the rides. I ran through it so quickly that I didn't take any - and my camera is way too big to smuggle in anyway.

 

[Travel Mum]

Right Clare, your experience has convinced me that we must stay onsite while we do Universal and IOA! Princess is right that it seems you were able to do Harry Potter in a much more relaxing manner than if we stay offsite. Now the challenge becomes in how I schedule this as I know, for my DH's sanity, we must have a few nights after POR (9 nts all in one room) in a Two-bedroom type accommodation before we go back to sharing a tiny cruise cabin with the children! Financially we'd only be able to afford to be in one room onsite at Universal so I'll have to plan it carefully to maximise our Express Line perks.

 

[Jade+3]

Travel Mum, I have no advice, but gee your DH sounds like mine!

 

[battymum]

not trying to incite anything here, but was anyone offended when your daughter cut in the queue and then got to choose the wand? I have been doing lots of reading on what is and is not appropriate as far as queuing goes.

 

[ehsmum]

not trying to incite anything here, but was anyone offended when your daughter cut in the queue and then got to choose the wand? I have been doing lots of reading on what is and is not appropriate as far as queuing goes.

What do you mean cut in queue? Do you consider my husband lining up and us joining him cutting in queue?

Hmmm, I don't . We saw families doing this all the time, at all theme parks, for rides, restaurants, shows, parades etc. I don't see anything wrong with it.

If anyone did have a problem with it they didn't let us know.

And it certainly wasn't a free wand. Her being chosen cost us $30. Well actually it cost $90 because we had to buy the boys wands as well.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Everyone was doing that when we were queueing. Not just at Universal; but also at Disney. If re-joining the queue, I keep it polite by making sure I wait for an appropriate spot in the queue to get back in so that I'm not pushing past a heap of people.

If you're in a queue for over 30 minutes with little kids, there is no way that anyone around you is going to complain that you take the kids to the toilet or for a drink instead of leaving them in the queue crying.

The only caveat is that Disney only insist that the whole party is there to check in at restaurants. They won't check you in unless everyone is there. For when DS was younger, we made sure that we checked in and if one partner left with DS, then we didn't go very far and had mobiles with us at all times so that we could run back if our names were called or buzzers went off.

Some people may have a problem with this; but then invariably you won't find universal agreement on any topic on the DisBoard anyway.

 

[battymum]

As I said didnt want to start something on our very friendly board, but I have been reading tripadvisor and many people do consider that line cutting and get quite annoyed by it, if everyone in the queue had 3 others join them at the top it would make it three times longer than you thought, just sayin.

For mine, I am trying to work out the correct queue ettiquette, as princess says there is no general consensus.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Funny you should bring this up BattyMum.

Firefly and I had a similar issue at DHS. I got there early - I was 2nd in the line. She got there a tick before they opened the turnstiles. I texted her to come on down to me as I was in a queue where there was space for her to move past the 30 groups or more people behind me. I didn't notice it as much as her but I gather from her that there were a few annoyed bodies behind her.

But I was there legitimately and we still got held up at rope drop; so I didn't think it mattered all that much. I might make a point in my TR when I get to it .

 

[ehsmum]

Your post really took me by surprise because I do not consider what we did queue jumping at all. We saw many incidences of queue jumping at all the theme parks we visited. I took issue with the blatant misuse of GACs that we saw, but the one party member holding a place and being joined by others was very common and didn't cause any problems for anyone (that I saw).

 

[Travel Mum]

Travel Mum, I have no advice, but gee your DH sounds like mine!

Yep, I think it's especially hard for him as he's the only male in our family-of-five

Jade, what dates will you be at WDW?

Your post really took me by surprise because I do not consider what we did queue jumping at all. We saw many incidences of queue jumping at all the theme parks we visited. I took issue with the blatant misuse of GACs that we saw, but the one party member holding a place and being joined by others was very common and didn't cause any problems for anyone (that I saw).

This is all good info for those of us planning trips so thanks for discussing it

 

[battymum]

I'm sorry I really am a very non confrontational person, dont hold it against me.

 

[Jade+3]

25 Sep until 6 Oct, but I think we are going to change to arrive 23 Sep. I will write more in your thread with battymum.

 

[ehsmum]

I can see that staying on site is DEFINTELY the way to go and enjoy Harry Potter. That would be just perfect to be able to slip in at 7.30 am, do the rides, look at everything at LEISURE, leave and then come back again in the evening when the crowds are less.

Great update and I really loved your pictures inside the rides. I ran through it so quickly that I didn't take any - and my camera is way too big to smuggle in anyway.

Yes, it's definitely the way to do it. You can buy Universal Express passes for $50 pp and that will get you to the front of the line on all rides except for Forbidden Journey and RipRide Rockit (although I believe that one is closed now). But that doesn't get you in early so you would still be dealing with the huge crowds at WWOHP.

Right Clare, your experience has convinced me that we must stay onsite while we do Universal and IOA! Princess is right that it seems you were able to do Harry Potter in a much more relaxing manner than if we stay offsite. Now the challenge becomes in how I schedule this as I know, for my DH's sanity, we must have a few nights after POR (9 nts all in one room) in a Two-bedroom type accommodation before we go back to sharing a tiny cruise cabin with the children! Financially we'd only be able to afford to be in one room onsite at Universal so I'll have to plan it carefully to maximise our Express Line perks.

I know what you mean. We had a one bedroom apartment in NYC but apart from that, it was the 5 of us in one room everywhere we stayed. We were very ready to get home and reclaim our personal space! It was particularly hard on my DD as she's at an age where she needs some privacy but she couldn't get any. I have been thinking that the next time we travel we will need to get apartments or two rooms as she will be a teenager and I can't expect her to share a bed with her little brothers any longer.

As I mentioned, you can always stay off-site in an apartment and buy the Universal Express pass.

 

[battymum]

Travel Mum, remember that Ehsmum travelled in July when WWOHP had just opened and was crazy, October 2011 I believe (hope) will be much quieter.
Also I have heard of people booking a room onsite but not actually staying in it, HRH will let you have five in one room.
We have booked at $239 per night, but I hope to get an annual pass discounted rate next year when they come out. Each night in the hotel gets you two full days of benefits at the parks

 

[Travel Mum]

I'm wondering if we might just book the one night onsite to get the two days of Express passes like I read of other poeple doing. We'd have to get up so early on the first day though in order to get to the hotel, check-in and get to the park before opening! I think I'll keep an eye on the feedback to see if the crowds reduce after the Wizarding World has been open for a year.