HO-HO-HO..We`ll put the RUM in Pa-Rum-Pum-Pum-Pum! 16 holiday nights at SF & RPR. A Nov/Dec 2023 Trip Report

[ofcabbagesandkings]

So glad you included some pics of your room at SF. We just had to make a hasty change of plans, my mom who was set to join us at RP tomorrow is on the tail end of a cold (Covid negative, thankfully) with a bad cough that her friend so thoughtfully brought to her house last weekend knowing full well how excited she was to see her grandkids. Some people have really learned nothing from the pandemic. She's feeling better but she's going to rest these next two days and then stay at a room at Sapphire that I just booked for her for the first part of the week, and we'll all mask up until she's well and truly asymptomatic. If she's up for rides she'll still get to use the express pass key card that she gets for being included in our room too. So mad at her stupid friend but trying to make lemonade out of lemons!

 

[disneyseniors]

It was pretty miserable when looking out the window, very different to our usual landings, but we were down and it was going to brighten up somewhat.

We stood up and like everyone else waited to be let off and we all chatted to the lovely CC member Lauren who sat opposite us for take off and landing, she, like all CC are always so lovely and chatty, she was asking our plans and I mentioned Strong Water being our first stop tonight, she had never heard of it, so we told her all about it, she did like the sound of it as she was a rum fan!!

A few minutes later we were on the way off the plane and down to immigration, always the nicest walk and we seem to get a new burst of energy at this point of the day.

Usually we turn left instead of right as we have Global Entry and head to the machines for a face scan then over to where CC pass through and a chat with an officer, but the sign had changed and it was no longer where we went. We wandered over to an employee to ask and yes, it had indeed been moved to the central area where there were several machines for us to us.

When we first got GE in 2018 you had to fill in a whole load of details, hand print, passport and facial recognition, that slowly dwindled to just a passport....now, you don`t even need that, a glance at the camera and you`re sent to the first officer who we expected to have to show our passport to and answer a few questions. Usually they ask if we`re bringing anything in and our answer is always British chocolate, cookies, candy and Scottish rum....that always raises some interest. But, today as we approached him, he simply stated Carole and Thomas....welcome back!! Thank you!!

This has to be the easiest entrance anywhere, and so fast.

Our baggage had already started going round on the carousel and it was only a few moments before we saw our cases, Tom hauled them off and we headed up the escalator to go on the mini train to the main terminal, always a nice thing to do....going this way anyway!

I glanced at the Christmas tree which is always so nice to see, but we just wanted to get down and get the car and Visitor Toll Pass sorted, this shouldn`t take long and again Alamo is fairly quiet and we get our papers sorted with no hard sell on upgrades or different types of insurance that we don`t need, we get our pre ordered Visitor Toll Pass and head over to the garage to see what car we would end up with.

Before Covid we always upgraded to the Maserati Levante, fun car to drive and the upgrade was always, shall we say an absolute bargain, but that`s never available now and to be honest for this trip, we`re not too bothered what we get, so she tells us to choose an SUV from a specific row and we got a Ford Edge, and it wasn`t fancy nor particularly fast, but it was comfy and got us where we needed to go.

That drive out of the airport is another of our favourite things to do and we always comment how familiar it is and we drive without even thinking too much, except for the time they changed the road without telling us.....we managed to do a very swift turnaround and get back on the right road, but for the most part, it`s a quick and seamless drive home. It is lovely being back and driving on roads that are so familiar.

We have to remind ourselves to go to Sapphire though and not turn into RP first, habit usually.....and we do manage to pull into the Sapphire parking garage which is preferable to RP lot for us and with it being a Friday, it is very busy, but we get a decent space close to the elevators and we head down to check in.

Today we are met by two lovely people, Justin who we have met a few times before and Ashley who we are meeting for the first time, they welcome us back and we have a lovely chat with them, they have our room keys and that was such a lovely touch for which we thank them for before heading straight to our room and we know which one it is now, our favourite suite!!!

The Sapphire Suite is beautiful, it is spacious while at the same time, it`s incredibly cosy, we absolutely love this room with the large welcoming hallway area, ideal for storing suitcases too.

Tom`s bathroom.....well, he does shower in the main bathroom, but having two bathrooms is ideal even though it`s just the two of us. It`s as well stocked with towels and products as the main bathroom, so we`ll never run out of anything in here.

And again, we were gifted some lovely treats for our arrival it is incredibly thoughtful and they are very much appreciated, it is a delight to be made so welcome once again.

Right now, the water and cheese/fruit plate are very much enjoyed! The milk and cookies was also a little treat we would keep for later.

I have to be honest, on vacation I don`t even want to make myself a cup of tea or coffee, but we do enjoy having a fridge for keeping things cool, so this little kitchen area is perfect for us. We can have our wine, water and juices in the fridge and a little storage area for all our goodies.

More treats!!

We don`t keep that large ornate light on very often, it is bright and like most folks we prefer a cosier look for rooms and it does get cosy when we just have the little side lamp on in the room, when the drapes are pulled it really does feel very homely.

This is a comfy bed!!!

And.....my bathroom

It not only has the double sink and it`s own toilet, it also has a full size bathtub with shower over it and one large shower on it`s own, this is the one we use, I don`t think we`ve ever used the bath, but for a family it`s ideal having a choice.

I sent Marian a message to thank her so much for the lovely suite and the lovely treats that were waiting for us, they do look after folks so well.

We unpacked very quickly, it doesn`t take long as we have the clothes on hanger in the cases and everything else is put away just as fast, then the next thing I do is shower....it`s been a long day and you just feel grubby until you`ve had that first shower and change out of those clothes we flew in. Tom does the same once I`m out and we both feel much better for it especially as we`re heading to Strong Water soon. We keep in touch with Fernando when we`re not here so he knew we were coming back tonight and we couldn`t wait to see everyone.

Everyone that knows me knows I`m a Christmas tree fanatic and Sapphire has one of the nicest of all the hotels....that huge lobby calls for a tree as large though, it wouldn`t look right with anything less and it is beautiful, although I do think they could squeeze a few more lights in there....but that might just be me as we go overboard on lights on trees and decorations in general, but it`s once a year and we love it!!

I was very happy to see this properly tonight.

To the rear of the lobby on the right hand side is our favourite bar/restaurant in the whole world is Strong Water Tavern.....there really is nowhere like it for staff, food, atmosphere and of course cocktails. It genuinely can`t be beaten for all of the above and the manager Fernando has been there since it opened is simply one of the nicest men in the world who has a genuine love of what he does and it shows, he has compassion and concern for both guests and his team members too and I know they think the world of him also, you can feel the warmth of the place when you walk in.

There is a young man who you`ll speak to usually before you get a table or if you have booked, his name is Abdel and he really is a very lovely young man, we got to know a little more about him this trip, it`s always interesting getting to know folks, everyone has a story and they`re always good to hear. Fernando had told him we were coming in so we were taken to one of the bigger tables tonight which was fine by us, it wasn`t too busy either which was nice.

A few minutes after we were seated the man himself came over and it is always such an incredible pleasure to see him! He gives the best hugs too!! He asked what we were drinking and I of course had Carole`s Punch.....Tom cheated and got something else, but that`s ok, it was rather lovely too.

We had a good catch up with Fernando and everyone else who stopped by to say hello tonight, it truly is like one big happy family in here!

Because we were talking so much, we hadn`t got round to ordering anything yet, so we were sent over some Tequenos which are very delicate puff pastries with ham, cheese and a roasted pepper sauce which are lovely, so we nibbled on them as we looked over the menu....although we know it by heart, we still like to read it over. demi, who is just adorable said of course there was no rush, I did however want to order before our brains hit that wall, once that tiredness hit us, we were gone.

These really are lovely though, quite filling so I wish we hadn`t ordered 3 dishes!!! Although two of them are quite light so we were going to do them justice.

We didn`t get to see Chef Carlos tonight as he was still away on a trip, and Maggie and Lenny were missing but we`d see them as I knew we`d visit this lovely place more than once or twice.

This really did feel like home.

The first dish to arrive was the Camarones, this is one of the original dishes on the menu and still stands as one of the best. The sauce is light and full of flavour and it needs that bread to mop up what`s left in the bowl, it is beautiful. We do ask for no extra cilantro, that`s why it looks more yellow than usual.

Tuna Tiradito.....honestly, this is one of the best dishes to be added to the menu, it is incredible and until he tried this one, Tom was never overly keen on raw tuna, but this completely converted him, very delicate dish with a little spice on the melon, but not overpowering in the least.

We share all the dishes, and this next one we chose always makes Fernando laugh when we order it now. Vegan Hotpot.

A few years back Chef Carlos did a special tasting menu for us and this dish was one of the plates that came out......I wasn`t sure when I originally read the description and explained to Fernando if anything said a dish was Vegan or vegetarian and we had tried it, we always had the same reaction!

​

Yep, we`re a little closed minded on non meat dishes......but, no one`s perfect right

But, they had both assured us we would love it, especially as we liked quite spicy dishes, so we were intruiged to say the least and when they brought it out we were somewhat alarmed to see how green it was, but all natural ingredients that are the freshest quality and created by an amazing chef all turned it into one of our most favourite ever dishes from Chef Carlos!!

Some of our favourite nights in here have been when Chef takes the menu from us and tells us we don`t need them, he has dishes prepared for us and we are always impressed beyond belief with what he produces, every single time.

Being honest, it was too much food, but we did get through most of it, I think tiredness was beginning to hit to be fair and 2 cocktails might have helped too but the food is so good here, it`s hard to know what to choose each visit.

The Vegan Hotpot isn`t on the menu right now as they`ve added some more new items which are all beautiful, but if it`s something you might like, ask as they may have it, although apologies if they don`t. If you like healthy, flavoursome, filling and spicy dishes, this one is for you, meat eater or not, it is beautiful.

I think we caught up and said hello to almost everyone tonight and there is such a nice feeling of being here, it just feels like we`ve never left and saw them all last week, such friendship and warmth come from everyone in here.

Eventually I hit the wall.....we say our goodnights but we`ll be back in tomorrow night for drinks as we always have some little things we bring for everyone, but right now we just want to sleep, I think we left around 9.45 which is good for us as we like to try and stay up till 10pm if we can, our brain thinks it`s 3am right now, no wonder we`re tired!

One last pic tonight in front of the tree as there`s no one around.

The suite is very cosy when we come in, drapes are closed and low lighting everywhere, I was so glad we had showered earlier, a quick brush of the teeth, make up removed and I climbed into that wonderfully comfortable bed to discover Tom was already asleep. Again, I left the drapes open a little and I can see some of the buildings in the distance lit up with Christmas colours, it`s so very pretty.

It sounds so corny, but it felt so good to be home.

​

Oh Carole, I had to laugh at using the wrong thing to wash your hair! The writing is so small on those tubes, and who wears their reading glasses into the shower anyway, that it is easy to do. I had to squint and hope I chose the right one.

I tried your suggestion of leaving the clothes on our hangers and bring them with. Well, it worked fine until I left them at the resort!!! Oh well at least they made it one way .

ruth
We were impressed with Strong Waters, too, and had a wonderful time. Awaiting more TR

 

[MadHatterBrooke]

Our baggage had already started going round on the carousel and it was only a few moments before we saw our cases, Tom hauled them off and we headed up the escalator to go on the mini train to the main terminal, always a nice thing to do....going this way anyway!

I always love the ride to the terminal. We flew into Terminal C for the first time this trip and while it is SO NICE, I missed the tram ride a little bit.

Sapphire Falls looks wonderful. I would love to stay there but we are so spoiled by the free Express Pass at Hard Rock and now Royal Pacific. Our first trip was at Aventura and it was our least favorite so far. But my boys already said if they have their way, we will be back at Royal Pacific next time.

I am also a Christmas tree lover, so enjoying those pictures. I thought the RP tree was stunning!

Great trip report so far!

 

[DisGhost]

I swear they need to provide a straw with those Camarones!

 

[schumigirl]

So glad you included some pics of your room at SF. We just had to make a hasty change of plans, my mom who was set to join us at RP tomorrow is on the tail end of a cold (Covid negative, thankfully) with a bad cough that her friend so thoughtfully brought to her house last weekend knowing full well how excited she was to see her grandkids. Some people have really learned nothing from the pandemic. She's feeling better but she's going to rest these next two days and then stay at a room at Sapphire that I just booked for her for the first part of the week, and we'll all mask up until she's well and truly asymptomatic. If she's up for rides she'll still get to use the express pass key card that she gets for being included in our room too. So mad at her stupid friend but trying to make lemonade out of lemons!

I would have been mad at the friend too, your poor mum, that was the last thing she needed before a trip! Bless her, hope she feels well enough to have some fun and spend time with you and the family!!!

And hope she likes her room at Sapphire although hope she feels well enough to leave it and have fun!!

Have fun too of course

 

[schumigirl]

Oh Carole, I had to laugh at using the wrong thing to wash your hair! The writing is so small on those tubes, and who wears their reading glasses into the shower anyway, that it is easy to do. I had to squint and hope I chose the right one.

I tried your suggestion of leaving the clothes on our hangers and bring them with. Well, it worked fine until I left them at the resort!!! Oh well at least they made it one way .

ruth
We were impressed with Strong Waters, too, and had a wonderful time. Awaiting more TR

lol.....I just saw a white bottle and assumed!!! I was glad Tom doesn`t need shampoo as I used it all with the second wash to get rid of the body lotion.....at home in our master bath shower we have 3 large shelf recesses built into the shower and I always keep the shampoos, conditioners and shower gels all on different levels......Tom is warned never to move them, although I htink he is tempted now and again......

You left some hangers behind.....lol.....yes, least you had them on the important journey!

Strong Water is amazing, the staff are just the best, so warm and welcoming!!!

More soon........

 

[schumigirl]

I always love the ride to the terminal. We flew into Terminal C for the first time this trip and while it is SO NICE, I missed the tram ride a little bit.

Sapphire Falls looks wonderful. I would love to stay there but we are so spoiled by the free Express Pass at Hard Rock and now Royal Pacific. Our first trip was at Aventura and it was our least favorite so far. But my boys already said if they have their way, we will be back at Royal Pacific next time.

I am also a Christmas tree lover, so enjoying those pictures. I thought the RP tree was stunning!

Great trip report so far!

Everyone talks about how lovely TC is, we haven`t seen it at all except for a couple of pictures a friend showed us. I doubt we`ll ever use it as VA don`t fly from it.

Sapphire is amazing, I hear you on the EP, we wouldn`t be without them either, I can`t imagine doing the parks without EP even on so called quiet times which are diminishing to what it used to be as the parks only get busier and busier.

Another Christmas Tree fan........

Thank you, I`m glad you`re enjoying it so far.....

 

[schumigirl]

I swear they need to provide a straw with those Camarones!

lol.....that would be a good idea!! They always bring us extra bread for the sauce, but it`s usually too much, don`t want to fill up on bread, beautiful as it is!!

 

[schumigirl]

The walk over to RP and the Club Lounge did perk us up a little, and we always enjoy the walk between the two hotels and this path is one of the many reasons we think of this as one big hotel to us and yes we heard all the jokes more than once that we were the reason they had to change the carpet as we had worn a path by walking back and forward so often!!! I could believe it.

The ladies were setting up when we came in, we do enjoy that quiet time before most folks come in for food, we can chat in private before it gets too busy and service begins. One of our favourite parts of the lounge is getting to know the lovely folks that work there, yes, we get to know some better than others, but they are all always lovely.

They always have beers and a guest ale, there was a Pumpkin Ale right now, they do always try to have one that is a seasonal ale, not for me but many enjoy them and it is good they vary the offerings so often. Wines change too on occasion, we do like the reds they have right now and the pink fizz is really nice too.

And although I never got around to actually having one this trip, the pineapple cider is beautiful, very light and easy to drink...maybe too easy at times!!

We were planning on eating in Orchids tonight, but I did get some pictures of the food most nights even though we don`t always eat here, as I said many times, we prefer to eat later and around the hotel/Citywalk/Orlando but we always have a sample or some salad along with the wine before we go out, if we`re driving Tom will always stick to coffee.

Every night they have cheese with crackers, crudite with dip and a different salad and dressing too, tonight was Antipasto salad with Italian Dressing and there is always a hot option and tonight it was Three Cheese Tortellini and Marinara Meatballs.

We didn`t have any of tonights food but it seemed to be very popular, I`m not a pasta fan in general and really, we were looking forward to some sushi tonight downstairs. It was lovely though just sitting and enjoying some time, chatting to folks as everyone in the lounge is very friendly, when people sit beside you, you tend to get chatting to folks and again, it`s always interesting getting to know folks from all over.

Around 6.45 we felt a little hungry so headed downstairs to get a table in Orchids. This is consistently one of the best places for sushi around Orlando, it beats much of the competition around the area easily for us and we have tried a few places, but this one is the best.

Our number 2 son is looking after us tonight, Colby who used to work in the lounge for far too long is working in Orchids and has done for a couple of years now, he is adorable and we are incredibly fond of him, we are his second mum and dad and he is still trying to get us to buy him a new car!!!! Er, we love you, but.....no........

We stick to wine tonight as we only plan to have cocktail over in Strong Water tonight, and Colby brings us some water and we order our food.....and chat too of course. We do email, but again....in person is best.

Miso soup is so fresh.....I always say I actually feel quite virtuous eating it whenever we have it, it`s so light and feels like you`re drinking goodness in a bowl!

Tonight we shared the Dynamite Roll, some smoked salmon and the Chef`s Special Tuna Avocado which is not on the menu anymore, but they still make it if you ask, it is beautiful, a little spicy but not too spicy and always incredibly fresh.

Although I didn`t notice till I was half way through it, they forgot the avocado!! Never mind, the tuna on it`s own is enough.

The Dynamite sushi is also beautiful and I get all the sushi ginger as Tom doesn`t like it at all......I love it!

The lovely Shelonda came over to say hello, we had seen her but she was so busy, I wouldn`t have left without saying hello though, but it`s always lovely to see her, she is quite an incredible lady with the kindest nature, absolutely one of our favourite ladies!

We said goodnight to both of them and told Colby we`d see him again soon and we headed back over to Sapphire and Strong Water Bar. I went in on my own as Tom went back to the room to get all the chocolate and some rum for Fernando, Abdel gave us our favourite table up by the tree, well it seems fitting at Christmas to be beside a lovely tree, Lenny popped over for a big hug and said he`d be over later for a chat, then Fernando came over to say hello and asked where Tom was, I told him he wouldn`t be long.....just as he appeared at his back.

Fernando always shakes his head at the amount of British chocolate we bring over for the Club Lounge, Strong Water and we give individual bags with treats to several of the ones we know really well, they love getting chocolate from the UK oh and we always bring Mrs Lenny her own special huge bar of galaxy chocolate as she loves that!!! Lenny was on tonight so we`d give it to him later.

Fernando takes the chocolate and he is very careful at sharing it out so it`s not all gone in one night lol.....it`s a little bit of a joke how he is very careful with it, but it does last a long time. We have a special gift bag for Maggie but she is off tonight, we`ll keep that for when she`s back.

He is also incredibly touched we always bring him rum every visit, we do like to try and find something a little different, although Scottish Rum is slightly unusual I suppose.

Tom gets some pictures of the view from Strong Water, it is quite beautiful.

I am making fully sure we absolutely do indeed put the rum in pa-rum-pum-pum-pum

Of course I order Carole`s Punch, Tom decides tonight to order his favourite Fountain of Youth which is the first cocktail he had in here and probably his favourite, unless Maggie makes him an Old Fashioned, as long as he ordered a couple of Carole`s Punches, I was happy!

Always have to have some pictures beside the tree!

Lenny came over when he had a quiet spot and it is always fabulous to get a chance to catch up with him, we know him so well and are very fond of him too, he doesn`t work full time in SW and hasn`t for a long time, so we`re always glad when he is here. He is very funny and has a wicked sense of humour which we love, but also the nicest guy.

We all had a try of the Scottish Rums and Lenny and Chef Carlos had a try too, I think all of us loved the Titan more than the other.....but they`re both very good.











Lenny gets back to work, we`ll catch up with him again and Fernando joins us and brings another rum to try.....I insist on a tiny measure as I`m not very good with straight liquor, but rum I will make an exception for.

I look up and see an old friend appear.... she had been at a show, Fernando had txt her to say we were in, so her and a friend decided to drop in and say hello!!! Her name is Maria and she used to be the manager in Orchids, but left a few years ago and is now at the Waldorf Astoria and doing very well I`m happy to say, she is such a lovely girl we`ve known for a long time. Her and Fernando worked together too and she calls him dad in a jokey way, so they have a nice friendship too.

I can honestly say I have no idea what time she came in, but she is a force of nature she decided to make us all some cocktails from one of the rums we brought and we had a taste....almost knocked the top of my head off, but it was strangely nice despite there being a few things in it I don`t like.

Fernando and Tom were chatting while Maria and I had a good old catch up and her mate Brittney was very nice too, so it was turning into an evening we hadn`t expected. And we did get a picture although I think she took about 40....I did like this one though, I think we were all asking how much longer could we smile!!!

We had a few more drinks, lots of chatter and laughter when all of a sudden, we noticed Fernando had gone, I did remember him waving....I thought he was just waving, but it was his home time.....but I did suddenly notice there was no one else in the bar except for two barmen who were waiting to lock up!!!!Heck.....what time was it?

​

It was late shall we say, we had actually closed out the bar!! Time to leave.......apologetically!!

We had enjoyed a lovely night, chatting with Lenny, Fernando and seeing Maria again had been really nice, but my goodness I could barely see the path in front of me to get back to our room, and it was pure tiredness.

We hadn`t actually drank a lot, it was just so late!! I think by the time we crawled into bed, it was almost 2am....so much for an early night and we definitely wished we`d gone for that earlier nap now!!




Park time tomorrow......we hope!!

 

[MadHatterBrooke]

And although I never got around to actually having one this trip, the pineapple cider is beautiful, very light and easy to drink...maybe too easy at times!!

The pineapple cider is so delicious! I agree about the pumpkin ale. Not for me! But my husband enjoyed it.

Excited to hear about park time... I hope.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

You look smashing with the Christmas trees! A nice flight, and then a beautiful suite and a wonderful homecoming

You are off to a fantastic start, and your holiday spirit is coming through

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

Enjoying your TR and just wanted to say, my daughter and I loved Sapphire Falls, and yes, the lobby tree is absolutely gorgeous. We ended up extending our trip for a couple of days to avoid flying in the bad weather and spent our extra day checking out DS and eating dinner there.

 

[schumigirl]

The pineapple cider is so delicious! I agree about the pumpkin ale. Not for me! But my husband enjoyed it.

Excited to hear about park time... I hope.

It really is lovely, it wasn`t till our last day I realised I hadn`t had one.....too late then!

Yes, Tom had the Pumpkin Ale, I think he got the last one and said it was ok, but he preferred the one they brought in later in the trip.

 

[schumigirl]

You look smashing with the Christmas trees! A nice flight, and then a beauty suite and a wonderful homecoming

You are off to a fantastic start, and your holiday spirit is coming through

If there`s a Christmas tree.....I`m there!!!

It really was a lovely start to our trip, and yes, love that holiday spirit

 

[schumigirl]

Enjoying your TR and just wanted to say, my daughter and I loved Sapphire Falls, and yes, the lobby tree is absolutely gorgeous. We ended up extending our trip for a couple of days to avoid flying in the bad weather and spent our extra day checking out DS and eating dinner there.

Thank you Aurora, glad to hear that.

How lovely you got to extend the trip at Sapphire, it is a gorgeous hotel, glad you enjoyed your time there

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Gorgeous decor all around!


And it’s always weird finding out where people think our accents our from (I’m on the border of two very well known areas of the US so I alternate but one of the other will come out if I say a certain thing and boom they know where I’m from hahahahah)


And closing down the bar is always fun! Glad you had a great and relaxing first day!

 

[schumigirl]

Gorgeous decor all around!


And it’s always weird finding out where people think our accents our from (I’m on the border of two very well known areas of the US so I alternate but one of the other will come out if I say a certain thing and boom they know where I’m from hahahahah)


And closing down the bar is always fun! Glad you had a great and relaxing first day!

It`s beautiful isn`t it.

I love accents, I love to hear the differences even within smaller regions, quite fascinating to listen to. People do always try to guess where we`re from and sometimes get it right, sometimes they don`t.

We did have a wonderful day thanks and yes, closing the bar was a first!!!!

 

[schumigirl]

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19TH​

It was morning all too soon and despite around 5 hours sleep which is not advised when you`re trying to adjust to a new time zone, we still managed to get up fairly early, we were up, we just weren`t completely awake yet although our eyes were open!

Once we were showered and dressed we wandered fairly slowly over to the Club Lounge for breakfast, I was in need of tea for sure, but being tired, you don`t just get a magic pill to make you feel better. Truthfully we should have just slept later, but we wanted to get out and enjoy some park time today as it looked beautiful outside and once we had tea I was sure we`d perk up a little.

We caught up with one of our favourite ladies this morning, Aspen, it was so lovely to see her again, we always enjoyed chatting to her in May and her first question was, where`s Kyle.....lol.....told her that was Kyle`s last trip with us, well just the three of us anyway, she had assumed he was coming with us again, we wish!! But, we managed a good catch up with her today and over our trip.

Tea was lovely, well it was refreshing and after some toast with grape jelly, cream cheese and turkey and Tom had croissants then a doughnut, we were set to go. We did get a little delayed with chatting, but nothing unusual there for us and it did quieten down so we could have a chat with the ladies.

Velocicoaster was on our agenda first today so IOA it was for us and we looked forward to the short walk to get to the parks.

Cutting through the pool is always so pretty and we feel instantly it`s warm but not boiling hot, this would be ideal for this trip, we had expected and were prepared for slightly cooler weather but this was lovely.

The walk to the parks is simply lovely, and they had added new trees and plants to the lovely little beach area beside the water, I wondered if it was to cover the boat dock which isn`t pretty as a background if they were having a wedding as folks do get married in that spot, it looked nice whatever the reason.

As we never do early entry I never pay attention to which park opens early and which doesn`t, we just turn up and go in and as we were slightly later this morning we never even anticipated there would be a line, never mind a line back over the bridge to Margaritaville, it was after 9.30am by now, where was everyone coming from.

The new facial recognition process was still fairly new and although I think it will be a success, it still had some issues, mainly people. We saw so many people turned away as they had the wrong tickets or didn`t have park to park tickets when they assumed they had, some even had tickets for the wrong day which was a new one on us, but whatever the reason it was a slow process going in this morning.

They really would benefit the lines by having a permanent AP entrance and not just during Passholder Appreciation times, we heard so many folks ask why they hadn`t implemented this for most of the year, I don`t think even the managers there know why.

It only took a few seconds for the facial recognition and we had no issues, but several people do seem to for sure, eventually we were in and Port of Entry is just about our favourite place in the park and at this time you don`t get the usual music as you wander through that is synonymous with the entrance, it`s full blown Christmas music which we love!!! I`m especially happy as I hear Kelly Clarkson Underneath the Tree as soon as we enter, I love it as it`s one of my Christmas karaoke songs.....although, I sound nothing like her, I cannot sing a note and I`m sure she`d be horrified if she heard me, but after a few glasses of wine none of us care

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Tom is happy I don`t sing along!!! After that we hear Feliz Navidad which some of our American friends here find it hilarious that I love that too for some reason.......but, I do!! Now it feels like Christmas!!

We wander through the store and have a look at some of the Potter Christmas items, we aren`t the biggest merchandise purchasers usually but I knew there were some items we wanted, some as gifts and some for us, but I hadn`t realised just how heavy they were going to be.

I wanted the lantern, small plates, cookie jar and the large tray, but I assumed the tray was melamine and it wasn`t, it was heavy so maybe not the best things to bring home, but I had promised to bring one back for someone and wanted one for me, that extra suitcase we were going to buy would come in handy.

As well as the lovely perk of having items sent direct to your room you can arrange for them to be parcelled up and shipped direct to your home, I`m not sure what it would have cost for us to do that to the UK as we didn`t ask, but I imagine it would be more economical within the US.

I decided to take the chance and bought the two trays, two sets of plates and the lantern to the checkout area and had them sent to our room, I`d worry about the weight later!!!! I could see Tom inwardly sigh and think we were going to need two new suitcases not just one!!!

I didn`t pick up the cookie jar.....I`d mention that another day!!!

There are plenty of TM`s in costume and doing little shows around POE now, they started after Covid with the introduction of the Mayor and a couple of others, now they have some nice little performances going on throughout the day with a slight pirate theme due to the supposed location and theme of the area, they were very good.

I honestly don`t know where everyone went after they entered but we kind of expected it to be wall to wall people, but it felt fine and very spaced out throughout the park, although we didn`t wander to Potter straight away, I think that`s where most folks disappear to which was nice for us as the park didn`t feel too busy.

Being back for this time of year was just lovely, we never lose that excitement and feeling of contentment as we wander through somewhere so familiar to us and being so warm was a bonus for us, we didn`t expect it to be like this for the whole trip the way it was last time, but while it was nice we`d make the most of it.

We didn`t plan to come back again this time of year, now we`d visited five times at this time of year and experienced the Holidays, much as though we do enjoy it, we just prefer other times of the year.

Confisco Grille is somewhere that looks visually pretty and food is good, we do prefer it to Mythos but we were giving it a miss this year, just for a change, but we still love the building.

And talking of Mythos......it is a stunning building to look at, very pretty and they seemed to be doing work on the roof as we saw ladders and men up there several times during our trip when we were there.

We love to stand and watch Velocicoaster from down here, but they had added a Photopass person who naturally took the best spot for pictures, which is good for a photographer of course, but we had to lean to the side slightly to get our pictures. We did notice they had added a lot of photographers this visit compared to last time although we never use Photopass we did notice there were a lot around.

The little submarine is very pretty and you can listen to the crew members argue and bicker with each other, again, tiny little details that always impress us so much when it comes to themeing around the parks.

We head straight to Seuss, it is ultra Christmassy which we love and it is always so bright and colourful throughout the year but it goes up a few notches for Christmas with the decor.

Even though we were tired I think the energy levels kicked up a notch when we came into the parks, although I did catch ourselves yawning a few times particularly if we stopped to look at something for any length of time, but we did find the energy from somewhere and took great pleasure in wandering around taking it all in.

There are people around, we didn`t set out to have no one in the pictures deliberately, we just never expected it to be so quiet in certain areas.

We did do CitH which is always an experience, I would hate to do that ride after a glass or two of wine, it`s just an odd ride, very tame of course as it`s for kiddies, but, one you have to do.

We headed for Velocicoaster, no plans to wait for Hagrid just yet, but we stopped for a glance at Poseidon`s Adventure, well the now empty building which is so impressive. To our shame we avoided it for years after having a not so good experience in 2007 (yes we hold a grudge) but we did see it in May with Kyle who wanted to experience everything and we really, really enjoyed it!!!! And we saw it a few days before it closed for the last time....yep, we missed out there over the years, we did wish we had done it more often.

It`s going to be something very impressive that replaces this show, it is a mahoosive building and they`ll do an amazing job with the replacement.

I think the only thing we have ever bought from this store is water!

Very unusual but pretty items including some pearls that you can choose and have it set into items, but we`ve never purchased anything.

One of the best things to do in IOA is watch and listen to the Talking Fountain, he is very funny and very clever and I`m always amazed how many folks have no clue what this is and how good it is, but we`ve had so many conversations with folks who look blank when we mention it.

It was blocked off for a few days, but you could still wander round the back and see it, it`s not to be missed as the humour is very clever, he reacts well to everyone whether you are a child or an adult. We haven`t spoken to him in a while but it`s worth doing.

The boutique beside the fountain changes due to season too with their displays and it`s hard to imagine this place used to host a rather dreadful magic show many years ago....honestly, it was bad!! But, now it is a rather marvellous little place that does sell different products too including themed for the season candles which are very nice and they have an array of products including some hot sauces which seems a little odd, but they do a nice display.

During HHN it is incredible and for Christmas they managed to mix a Holiday feel while keeping the horror theme too with nods to Frankensteins monster and the little girl, if you`ve ever seen the original Frankenstein movie, you`ll get it.

Conliffe`s is a nod to The Wolfman which was an original 1941 movie with Lon Cheney Jr as Lawrence Conliffe and the Wolfman of course. The lovely Evelyn Ankers played his love interest Gwen, and again, the detail that Universal put into their stores, displays and rides is incredible and very detailed. We are massive old Universal horror movie fans so things like this fascinate us, not for everyone of course. I could bore for hours about the displays they put together and the story behind them, but really they are just very cool to look at for the most part.

Interestingly Bela Lugosi is in this movie too as well as Claude Rains and the wonderful Ralph Bellamy famous today for being one half of Duke & Duke from Trading Places. The gypsy caravan below has the name Madam Maleva on the side who is also a character in the movie.

More to come

 

[MadHatterBrooke]

it`s full blown Christmas music which we love!!!

I don't love Christmas music, but really enjoyed what Universal played in the parks! It was fun and upbeat and definitely puts you in the Christmas spirit.

Loving all your pictures! It looks like a gorgeous start to your first day at the parks.

 

[schumigirl]

I don't love Christmas music, but really enjoyed what Universal played in the parks! It was fun and upbeat and definitely puts you in the Christmas spirit.

Loving all your pictures! It looks like a gorgeous start to your first day at the parks.

You don`t love Christmas music

jk.....lol......yes, it was very festive and whenever I hear the songs they played in the park it takes me right back.

It was a gorgeous day and just felt good to be back again.