Day 4 & 5 - Thursday, May 24, 2012 & Friday, May 25, 2012
Before moving on to Day 5 of our 2012 trip, you may be wondering what happened to Day 4?! We decided to take Thursday, May 24th as a “day off”. If you've ever been on a Disney vacation and enjoy doing as much as possible like us, you know that a vacation day on your vacation is sometimes necessary! We had been waking up early and staying out late with little rest in between so we figured this would be a great mid-point refresher.
We slept in... a bit before heading to an outlet mall in the area around 9:00am. We arranged for a taxi to take us to the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet stores. This mall was smaller than its counterpart across the street and didn't have as many top-brand stores. We visited Old Navy, Fossil, Reebok and the Gap along with a Disney Outlet store that wasn't anything to write home about.
We took another taxi over to the Walmart Super Centre. At that point, our city didn't have any super centres so we were impressed with the sheer size of the store. We enjoyed the fact that the Walmart’s in America sell alcohol (where we’re from, alcohol is sold in its own store). We picked up a few Disney items and found the Red Ryder BB Gun from A Christmas Story!
When we got back from shopping, we hung out by the pool and went for a swim. Later that evening, we hit up Downtown Disney for some more shopping and exploring!
After our low-key day we were re-charged and ready for Universal Studios Orlando! We had a 2-day pass for both Universal Parks – Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios but after our “day off” we had to jam both parks into one day! It was a busy, exhausting day but was filled with excitement and adventure! We did almost everything we wanted to in one day!
We had scheduled the same taxi from our shopping trip to pick us up at our hotel Friday morning to take us to Universal Orlando. We've since learned that there are shuttles (such as Mears) that can be arranged to take you to and from Disney parks and attractions at a lower cost.
We began our day in Islands of Adventure. First up – The Incredible Hulk. We’d be lying if we said we weren't slightly nervous about these coasters as they’re a big step up from the majority of Disney’s. While Disney has some fast and exciting coasters, many of Universal’s, like the Hulk, are on a much larger scale. We got in line and had a minimal wait. It was so much fun! Being outside and seeing your surroundings while looping around and ducking under things is a thrill!
After the Hulk we headed over to Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. Similar to the Tower of Terror, you’re strapped in a seat awaiting the clock to tick down before you’re shot up almost 200ft. You get a great view from the top before you plummet back down. While the ride doesn't last all that long, it’s definitely a fun thrill.
We decided to head over to The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man. This was definitely a highlight ride for us. It’s a 3D type ride that has you sitting in a motion vehicle while you dodge explosions. It has a great mix of 3D and actual effects (like fire and water).
Next it was time to get wet. We started at Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. After getting soaked on the Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Ellen decided to sit this one out and avoid being soaked... which, if you keep reading, didn't last too long. So Ryan took one for the team and rode it solo. Since we were in the area, we decided to do Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. We love that this flume ride features a Canadian Mounty! Oh, did we mention we got SOAKED?! Ellen’s plan to avoid being dripping wet didn’t last long after this ride.
Our last ride before heading over to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was the Jurassic Park River Adventure. We were in line to be in the second row but after a few the ladies in front of us saw the returning riders, they asked if we would switch with them in the hopes of not getting too wet. We were already pretty wet so we gladly accepted the front row seats!
After Jurassic Park, we excitedly headed over to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. First up – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This is a simulated ride with a lot of thrills and suspense. While we both felt fine after riding, some people find it to be a little nauseating with all the screens and twists and turns.
After riding (and surviving) the Incredible Hulk earlier that morning, we were completely stoked to do the Dragon Challenge and because Ellen is awful at directions and paying attention, we ended up in the line for front-row seats. This a great roller coaster full of suspense and anxiety!
We built up a solid appetite from all of our excitement and before heading over to Universal Studios, we stopped in Seuss Landing and had some lunch at Circus McGurkus.
Refueled and ready for our next adventure, we headed into Universal Studios. This park’s attractions are centred on various movies and the entertainment industry. The first attraction we visited was Shrek 4-D. This is a theatre-style show, similar to It’s Tough to be a Bug at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s funny, interactive and tons of fun.
At this point, we were looking for a little more thrill so when we spotted the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket, we knew we had to get on this one. The scariest part of this ride of us is the ascent - you climb almost vertically before you drop and pick up speed all while listening to your favourite song!
Ryan had done Twister...Ride it Out when he was younger and remembered how... uneventful it was, so much so that he insisted I experience it too. So we headed into the queue and experienced a “Twister”. We talked about it with friends who went in 2013 & loved it but we feel it could be so much better.
Next up was the Revenge of the Mummy. This is an enclosed roller coaster ride with a bunch of thrills and twists. I didn't have high hopes for it but it was a lot of fun! Next we did Disaster! which is part interactive tour and part ride where volunteers from the group create a movie scene that is then played out while you’re on a subway that experiences a disaster!
After Disaster, we did the Men in Black: Alien Attack which is similar in style to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. We finished off our jam-packed day at Universal with the Simpsons Ride which is a simulated rollercoaster and one of our favourites from the day!
Our trip to Universal Orlando was a busy non-stop adventure. We were exhausted by the end of the day but were impressed by how much we accomplished and all the fun we had. We would recommend taking the two days, one day for each park – which we did on our most recent trip. With decently easy transportation from Walt Disney World to Universal Orlando, so many thrill rides and roller coasters, Universal Orlando is a great addition to a Disney vacation and a part of our trips that we really look forward to.
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