Gotta Get Our Homework Done!

Homework?  It’s summer vacation.  There’s no homework!

Yes, there is homework and it is FOR the summer vacation.  Most people think that a summer vacation would not require homework.  But, let’s remember that a trip to Walt Disney World does lend itself to some homework; some planning.  This isn’t the kind of homework I’m talking about. 

The kind of homework we are completing prior to our summer 2014 family vacation is to watch movies such as Disney’s Lady and the Tramp.  Why?  To build background.

You see, we are dining, once again, at Tony’s Restaurant on the Town Square in the Magic Kingdom.  We know that Tony’s theme is based on the movie.  We want to be immersed in the story when we dine there and building background by re-familiarizing ourselves with the movie will help.  We will be more able to recognize and appreciate the details that Disney does so well when theming a ride, attraction, or restaurant.

Another part of our homework is to watch the Harry Potter movies--again.  Why?  To refresh ourselves with his world before we visit Universal Studios.  We, muggles, want to be familiar with the language and the story before entering Harry’s world at now two theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort.

We even recorded and watched the recent TV show about the making of Diagon Alley.  The show definitely built excitement for our trip—which is what it was intended to do.

Another reason we are completing our homework is that it is fun.  We watch the movies as a family and it helps to build anticipation for our upcoming vacation.

Homework FOR a summer vacation?  YES!

Quicksilver. . . To The Rescue!

I laughed out loud when I read a post on the message boards about an engaged couple deciding on whether or not to fly or drive 18 hours to get to Walt Disney World and wondering if they would still want to get married after the drive to and from.  After an 18 hour drive the question for us would be, “Who is filing for divorce first?”

I jest a bit, but not much.  The reason we fly—and subsequently let Disney do the driving—is that we want to stay married.  The husband and I each bring a different skill set to the driver’s seat and his skill set is not meant for long distance driving into unknown territory on multi-lane highways.  This means I would either be driving or directing the driver. . . so instead, we fly!

And, while flying offers all sorts of advantages—convenience, timeliness, etc. it can also offer challenges such as how do we get somewhere at our destination that requires transportation.  You see with Disney, we don’t worry. . . Disney’s Magical Express efficiently transports us from Orlando International Airport to our Disney Resort and back again—for FREE!  While at the Walt Disney World Resort, we rely on fleets of buses and boats to whisk us from place to place along with the monorail.  But on our upcoming vacation, we are venturing away from Disney for just a bit and will need transportation.

The dilemma became how to get from the Hyatt at Orlando International to Universal Orlando Resort and back again.  A rental car was immediately nixed . . . due to the who is going to drive thing.  So, we were left with a cab or some sort of car service.

I checked the Taxi Cab Fare Finder website which allows you to enter your city and then the destinations you are traveling to and from for rates.  The range of $40 to $70 one-way for the almost 15 mile jaunt, depending on amount of traffic and tolls and of course, a tip would be in addition to the fare.  The PROS of a cab were that it was going to be easy to get a cab at the Hyatt at the airport and we could come and go when we were ready—very flexible.  The CONS of a cab was that we wouldn’t know the amount of the ride until the ride was over so there was no way to budget.

I also checked Quicksilver Tours website for their fares from the airport to Universal for a town car.  The rate was $125 round trip plus gratuity.  PROS of using the service included knowing the rate up front for budget purposes.  CONS were that it was less flexible than a cab as pick up times had to be scheduled and it could potentially be more costly than a cab, but that was a gamble.

After searching, it was time to talk to the husband and make a decision.  When I mentioned getting a town car, he turned to me and said, “You’re going to drive, right?”  (See what I mean about the driving skill set?)  I replied, “No, honey, we will have a driver.”  He was sold!

Making a reservation on Quicksilver’s website was quick and easy.  I also mentioned that we were repeat customers—we used their service the last time we went to Universal—and got a $5 discount.  I also asked if there was some flexibility in the time we got picked up at Universal if the weather took a turn, etc.  I was told that if a car was available that would be fine, otherwise, we would stick with our pick-up time.  I programmed the number into my cell phone.

So, we will be traveling to and from Universal Orlando in style.  Our pick-up will be at the “motor lobby” of the Hyatt which is two levels below the registration lobby and accessible by elevator—no venturing to baggage claim or through the airport to get to our car.  The best part?  We will stay married!

Summer 2014 Vacation--Tickets and Paperwork Have Arrived!

Tickets and paperwork for our upcoming Summer Vacation have arrived! 

The Walt Disney World packet contained our luggage ID tags, but not Magical Express luggage tags because we aren’t using Magical Express to get to our resort.  The packet also contained vouchers for arcade points. Miniature golf, DisneyQuest admissions—even though we have those added tour tickets with the Water Parks and More Fun option.  My favorite part of the packets is the discount card in the very back.  This little card is going to save me 10% on a purchase of $75 or more at the World of Disney Store at Downtown Disney!

Our cruise booklet also arrived for our 7 night sailing on the Disney Fantasy.  The entire booklet is customized with our names, our flight information (including fees for our airline), and our port adventures and travel plans for after the cruise.  The husband’s favorite part was the cover that said “Gold” and my favorite was the personalized letter that said, “Dear Jody, Welcome back!”  Disney Cruise Line knows how to do it right!

We also have our Universal park tickets AND Express Pass vouchers.

Still waiting on our MagicBands but a marvelous email was in the inbox yesterday from Disney Destinations indicating that the bands have been shipped.

The boy wakes up each morning and tells us how many days until our trip.  He wants to know when it is the “perfect” time to pack.  My response was anytime is the perfect time to pack, but we settled on 10 days prior to our trip would be a great time for him to pack his rolling backpack.  It will include toys (he already found his Disney Planes characters), a book to read, at least one stuff character (my money is on Stitch), snacks, and his video game.

Next for the husband is sorting and packing his Disney trading pins and lanyards!

More Items Checked Off The "To Do" List!

As our Summer 2014 Vacation draws near, more items have been checked off the “to do” list.  What a great feeling!

Tuxedos—check!  The husband and the boy will both have tuxedos waiting for them, including shoes and socks, in our stateroom when we board the Disney Fantasy.  This makes packing so much easier!

Universal tickets—check!  Previously, we had purchased the Express Pass portion of our tickets, but had yet to purchase the park tickets themselves.  We now have 3 one-day park to park tickets coming our way via Undercover Tourist.  The total price was $14 less than using Universal’s site and the tickets are being mailed to us.

Photo services—check!  Disney’s Memory Maker was added to our reservation at the time we booked our trip and we just pre-ordered Universal’s Photo Connect—click here to read more.  One of our on board perks from our travel agent is a photo package—planning on using it towards the Photo CD at Shutters on the Disney Fantasy.  Get ready for photos!

Garden Grocer order—check!  Click here to read more about this convenient service that providesgrocery delivery right to your Disney Resort!

Lawn service—check!  Secured someone to take care of our lawn while on vacation.  And, made sure our pet sitter knew about the lawn service and vice versa. 

Now we can sit back, relax, and wait for our MagicBands to arrive! 

Universal Orlando Offers Photo Connect--Who Knew?

We are counting down the days until our 12^th trip to Walt Disney World, our 6^th Disney Cruise, and our 2^nd trip to Universal Orlando.  Even with all of our experiences, there are still some things still have yet to learn.

It wasn’t until our 2^nd or 3^rd trip to Walt Disney World that we fell in love with Disney’s Photopass service.  Since then, we have pre-ordered and pre-paid for the Photopass CD prior to multiple trips and last summer, did the same for Photopass+ (click here to read more) which has now morphed into Memory Maker, which we already have added to our My Disney Experience account—click here to read more about Memory Maker.

So, when planning our time at Universal Orlando, I wondered if they, too, had a similar service as Disney’s Photopass.  And, indeed they do!  Enter, Universal’s Photo Connect.

This service allows guests to pre-purchase the package that is right for them, or purchase once they get to the parks.  The packages vary by length—number of days—and include ride photos and photos taken by Universal photographers.  Click here to read about how ride photos make great souvenirs. 

Finding information about this service is NOT easy and there is nothing about it on Universal’s website.  Here’s a link to a great article that explains everything you would ever want to know—click here.  I have gone back to this site repeatedly trying to figure our exactly what would happen and what to expect.

We purchased the one-day digital package for $39.95.  Given that prints of ride photos start at $17 and go up from there, paying $40 for digital access to all of our ride photos is a bargain!  Of course, the one-day package is only available on-line and for pre-order.  Click here for the pre-order page.

Once we made the purchase, I received an email with very clear directions.  I print out the email, which has a barcode, take the print out to any Universal Photographer, present the barcode, get my first picture taken and receive instructions on where to get my Photo Connect card.  After that, my Photo Connect Card will be scanned and all photos will go into my Photo Connect account automatically.

After we get home, I log into my Photo Connect account, edit and download all of our photos.  There’s even a scanner for Smartphones to access the digital photos.  There are also opportunities to customize merchandise with your photos on the Photo Connect site.

Here‘s a list of participating attractions:

Universal Studios Florida:

• Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket
• Revenge of the Mummy
• MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack

Islands of Adventure:

• The Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
• Jurassic Park River Adventure
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

In addition, permanent photo ops (not on the ride, but in or near the ride building) are available at:

• E.T. Adventure (USF)
• Transformers: The Ride (USF)
• Shrek 4-D (USF)
• The Simpsons Ride (USF)
• Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man (IOA)
• High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (IOA)

There may also be more photo opportunities with the opening of Diagon Alley and the addition of the Hogwarts Express.

It’s an exciting time to visit Universal Orlando!

Universal's Express Pass

Princess Fiona and Donkey from our 2008 visit to Universal Studios

As a part of our Summer 2014 vacation, we are returning to Universal Orlando, which features two theme parks—Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and a shopping and dining district—CityWalk.  Our last visit was in 2008 and consisted of visiting over multiple days.  This year, we’ve go one day.

Due to our condensed schedule, we are planning to take advantage of Universal’s Express Pass.  Express Pass gives guests access to a different line, the Express Pass line.  While free to on-site guests (and the ability to use it on the same attraction more than once), off site guests can pay for this privilege. 

Express Pass can be added to park tickets for an additional fee per day, varying based on whether the ticket is for a child or adult, one park or two parks, and time of year visiting.  The starting point is $30 (rounding up from $29.99).

For example, we are purchasing 3 adult (children 10 and up are considered adult, just like at Disney) multi-park, 1-day tickets during peak travel time.  The addition cost for Express Pass is $90 per ticket—making the final price for our tickets $230 per person.

Is it worth it?  In our case, yes!  Only having one day, essentially 13 hours, to get the most out of both parks, Express Pass will cut our wait times significantly allowing us to do more.  Actually, if Express Pass was not available, we would change our plans and only visit one park.

Express Pass is limited to certain attractions and can only be used once for each attraction per ticket.  We are good with these restrictions.  One attraction not yet on the list is Diagon Alley and the Hogwart’s Express which will transport guests between the parks.  Guests wishing to take the Hogwart’s Express will need park-to-park tickets—which we will have!

The boy and the husband are looking forward to the many rides and attractions.  And, while we will all enjoy them, I am looking forward to the experience—the details, the “how to”.  And, yes, will keep you posted!

Shrek!