Tag Archives: theme parks

Attractions, Disney, Family Travel

When it rains at Disney World

Frequent rain is a fact of life in Florida, and therefore, at Disney. But Disney is still the happiest place on Earth, even during a little shower! Rain ponchos are on my list of things to take when clients ask me what they need. Some clients look at me funny, as if to say, “How do you know what the weather will be like 6 months from now?” I know some of them are thinking that surely Disney World was not built in a place where it rains that often. But it was.

Stop! Don’t go back to the hotel! Wait it out, and you’ll be glad.

Many people will tuck tail and run to the bus depot as fast as possible, looking to get back to their hotels. Nine times out of ten, they will find that the shower has stopped before they arrive. Most Orlando rain is short-lived. You do best by waiting it out. Take shelter somewhere in a gift shop, get a cold drink in a restaurant, or stand under an overhang. After the rain has passed, you might be able to get on some rides with a shorter wait or at least enjoy a slightly less crowded park.

Doesn’t everything shut down in the rain? No! Some rides with outdoor tracks may become unsafe and close temporarily, but indoor rides will continue to run.

Is there a rainy season? Anyone who lives in the south will tell you that we get more rain in the summer months. Florida has a lot more summer than some of the rest of us, though, and one of the worst downpours I have ever seen was at Hollywood Studios in January of 2015. There are no guarantees. We have also had a trip down there where it didn’t rain a single drop the whole time we were there.

Where can you seek shelter? If you’re at Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Philharmagic is always a good spot to get in a line inside that wasn’t previously backed up with a wait. Many rides like Pirates of the Caribbean have long, covered areas for waiting. Get in line somewhere like that, if you can! Epcot is one of the most open parks, but World Showcase has its fair share of shops, restaurants, and covered areas (like the temple in China). Hollywood Studios is full of theaters and shows. It’s a great place to hide from short showers. Be aware, though, that the front part of the park will flood if the rain is unusually heavy for an hour or so. We have slogged through it before. We had been watching the Indiana Jones stunt show when they had to stop, because rain was blowing into the covered but open area where the stunts were being performed. It became dangerous for the performers. Animal Kingdom also has some shows inside theaters like the Nemo production. If one of these is nearby, make a run for it. A few rides also have covered lines.

The cardinal rule, though, is don’t forget your ponchos. We were just there a few weeks ago, and my husband decided to go back to the hotel while my son and I stayed in the park. We forgot the ponchos were in my husband’s backpack! My son and I were the last people to get off the Haunted Mansion ride before it was stopped, because there was a big backup of people (wearing their ponchos!!) who were standing at the door, afraid to go into the rain. Disney Cast Members were politely trying to shoo them out the door so they could start the ride again. My son and I realized our mistake in letting Daddy leave with our stuff, but knew we would have to make a run for it in the downpour without our waterproof gear anyway. We did it. It was fine. We got to Peter Pan quickly, where we had a fastpass, thank goodness. It had stopped raining by the time we finished on Peter Pan. We got a bit damp to say the least, but we dried out in no time in the warm Florida weather.

Wet rats, smiling and happy, after the rain.

We saw a few families in one of the gift shops on Main Street USA buying new shirts so they could be dry. It’s a great excuse to buy a new shirt! My son got a new shirt, but it wasn’t because he felt he needed to get dry. It was just because he needed a new Disney shirt.

Just be prepared, go with it, and you’ll have a ball!

To book your next Disney trip, call the two-time College of Disney Knowledge graduate at Azalea Travel.

Attractions, Disney, Family Travel, Summer, Uncategorized, Universal Studios

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

Sometimes my clients say to me, “We’ve done Disney. We want to do something different. How about Universal?” That’s exactly what I said not long ago, when we wanted to go somewhere for my son’s birthday. We enjoyed one day in both parks. Being Disney lovers, we made most of our observations in the form of comparisons against WDW, so some of what I’m going to tell you is a view through that lens.

Universal has the big, scary, intense rides like the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and the Incredible Hulk coaster. Those are too much for me, so I said no thank you to those. But if you like the more intense coasters, Universal is your spot. Without those, there are still some great coasters that are more geared to wimps like me: Flight of the Hippogriff (delightful), Revenge of the Mummy (awesome), and Harry Potter’s Escape from Gringotts. I just don’t do the upside down rides or the ones that drop you thirty stories.

Universal and Islands of Adventure are connected by the Harry Potter train, which is a fun experience. If you purchase the pass that allows you to go into both parks, there’s no reason you can’t tackle both parks in one day happily. Many of the rides are motion simulators, which honestly make me a little sick. If you space them out carefully and choose the ones you’d really like to do, you can avoid motion sickness. The most nausea-inducing one we did was the The Simpsons ride. I just had to close my eyes to avoid hurling. Another trick is to look up at the mechanism moving your vehicle and keep in mind that you are really just in a seat that’s being moved. But for the love of all things Bart, just don’t look at the screen, if you feel sick.  If your equilibrium is not bothered by these rides, then more power to you!

Another ride I really enjoyed was the Jurassic Park River Adventure. A word of advice: wear a poncho, because you will get wet! The big drop is super fun, but it will catch you by surprise.

Unless you’re there in a very slow season, I do recommend getting the Express Line passes if you’re trying to do both parks in one day. But the appeal of all the rides is so very broad that it’s unlikely you would want to do absolutely everything. If you paid the same amount for one day of Disney with a Hopper pass, you’d never be able to do all four parks in one day. But with Universal, it can definitely be done.

Lest you should think it’s all big coasters for older kids and adults, there are sections like Seuss Landing that appeal to the little ones in your family, too. And let’s face it, do you ever really age out of Dr. Seuss? It’s wonderful just to walk through there and imagine you’re in one of his books.

There’s much more to Universal, so don’t hesitate to contact Azalea Travel to help you plan your Universal vacation!

Attractions, Family Travel, Hotel/Resort, Legoland

Legoland Hotel – Where everything is AWESOME

I’ve had a number of questions recently about the Legoland Hotel in Florida. When we were there last, they were building the Beach Retreat. That’s completed now, and apparently they are really pushing it. I can’t really address the questions about the Beach Retreat fully since we stayed at the Legoland Hotel, but I do know a few reasons why I would choose to stay at Legoland Hotel again.

  1. It’s right at the front gate to the park, and the Beach Retreat is a half mile away by shuttle bus.
  2.  There is a castle in the lobby.
  3.  The elevator turns into a mini disco club when the doors close.
  4.  There are Master Builder classes right off the lobby, and they are free! You just have to sign your child up for a time slot. These may eventually be offered at the Beach Retreat, but I haven’t heard.
  5.  Beach Retreat is a spread-out village of cottages. At Legoland Hotel, though, everything is in one building. There’s no trek to get something to eat. It’s just downstairs.

 

The picture above is the hallway outside our room. I have to say that I was a little concerned that our son would think this was all too young for him, since he was turning 9 the weekend we were there. I was dead wrong. He loved it.

LEGOLAND Hotel is a child’s dream of a hotel. The decor is over the top, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Everything is LEGO’d out, and the children love it! Even the lowest category of room is a suite of sorts, with the children having their own area with bunk beds and a TV by the door. The bathroom comes next, followed by the parents’ area, which includes a king sized bed. The parents’ area is a little more toned down (notice I said “a little”) with fun LEGO accents hanging here and there on the wall. The children’s sleeping area, however, is decked out in its theme.

Here is a picture of the wall opposite the bunk bed in the children’s room:

Even the specially ordered carpet gives you something to ponder. I wondered whether I would be able to sleep restfully with this much stimulation all around. This was one reason I only booked one night. However, I found that, as Emmett says in the LEGO movie, everything was AWESOME. One night, though, and I was thankful to move on to a more sedate and less ornate environment.

Room themes include Kingdom (medieval castle), Adventure (Egyptian/archaeologist), Pirate (self-explanatory), and Friends(the pink and purple girly LEGO characters). My son chose Kingdom theme, so the pictures you see here from our room reflect that theme. Each floor has one theme, so that from the time you step off the elevator, you are in Kingdom mode, or Adventure mode, or whatever.

And the elevator is an attraction all by itself, as I mentioned above. When the doors open, you notice that there is wallpaper of LEGO figures dancing and doing different activities. There is typical elevator music playing, such as “The Girl From Ipanema.” But as soon as the doors slide closed, the party begins! Disco strobe lights flash and songs like “Do the Hustle” or “YMCA” accompany you up or down. You can’t be in a bad mood in this elevator. You must dance, sing, or both. It’s an involuntary reaction. As soon as you reach your floor, the doors open, the overhead light comes on, and the tamer music selection begins again.  It made me laugh every time I rode in it. Best elevator ever.

The Bricks Family Restaurant, adjacent to the lobby, offers a great variety of options on a buffet. Your breakfast buffet is usually included with the price of your stay. The dinner buffet is about $20 per adult and $13 per child, which is a really good value for people who like an “all you can eat” situation. You don’t have to go anywhere, and the food is good. I had a smoked brisket, among other things. The children’s buffet is out in the middle where kiddos can get a plate and serve themselves, while adults can hover around the perimeter and find selections to suit the more grown up palate.

The Skyline Lounge is actually right in the lobby (the lobby being pictured above), and it offers a spot for parents to sit with an adult beverage and watch the children enjoying all that the giant castle has to offer. You can also order from a menu and enjoy table service in this restaurant.

The included activities make this hotel an enormous value. Between being 150 steps from the entrance to the park, having close parking, included breakfast, early entry to the park, and these classes and activities, it doesn’t make sense to NOT stay there for at least the first night. There are Master Builder Classes, a pajama dance party, and other design/build activities going on in the lobby per the schedule for the day.

The employees are so nice and friendly that you will find yourself comparing them to Disney cast members.  The restaurant staff, bellmen/valets, and front desk folks are hard to beat. The characters walking around in the hotel lobby make the experience even more special and fun for the kids.

Your children will be really bummed when it’s time to check out.

Contact Azalea Travel to book your LEGOLAND vacation, and be on the lookout for another post about the LEGOLAND park.

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