Universal Studios: Part 2

Other parts of Universal ...

SEUSS LANDING:

Such a good grandpa.  Kids can steer these little fish and get wet or dodge the water - Maryanne chose to steer it right into the stream of water every time.  See the evil look on her face? 

The 2nd day was so fun.  Joey and Luke took off and rode all the crazy roller coasters (The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Dr Doom's Fearfall, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Reign of Kong) and my parents and I stayed with the youngest three and did little kid rides.   We took it nice and slow which was perfect.  We had this moment when Grandpa bought a carameled apple with nuts and I bought a GIANT donut.  We sat under the trees and ate it and I don't know why but it was a favorite moment.  Just laughing and having fun.

Freddy exploring the wild.  

(He actually got a terrible rash on his face the next night and one of our guesses is that it could have been from something sprayed on the plants.)

Okay - she's pretty cute trying to fit into the stroller

So...  on the 2nd night we were just getting on the Cat in the Hat ride and Maryanne was sitting behind me and had decided she wanted to sit up with Joey and me.  She got out and JUMPED ONTO THE TRACKS in front of us!!  I screamed for her to get off the tracks and jumped out and grabbed her.  Poor girl - that scared her and she started crying.  The attendant was so nice and came over and said it was fine and was asking all about her favorite ride (which she said was Cat in the Hat btw haha - which she hadn't ridden yet.)  But it really wasn't fine - we all had to get off and they basically had to shut down the whole ride and run it through with no one one it as a safety precaution.  When we got there there wasn't a line and when we left there was a huge line.  Woopsie.  They were really so nice about it and kept reassuring Maryanne that it was no big deal.  :)

MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND:

All of Freddy's dreams came true when he got to meet Spiderman.  It was the highlight of my trip to see him this amazed and excited.  He just kept saying "You're Spiderman?!!  You're Spiderman!??!"

JURASSIC PARK:

Playing at Camp Jurassic waiting for Pteranodon Flyers

(this was a nice change from last time.  It used to be a crazy long and slow line for the flyers but now you get a ticket for an appointed time and just show up at that time.  Nice job Universal!)

 Lucy got a little carried away in a water fight

LOST CONTINENT:

Mystified by the Mystic Fountain

This guy was so impressive.  He guessed their favorite colors and we went again the next day and he remembered all their names.  He made them laugh a lot.  We walked by once and he was speaking Spanish to a group of people.  That thar is a smart talking fountain.

My parents treated us to a delicious restaurant in The Lost Continent called "Mythos".  It was so nice to just sit and eat REAL food!   As we know, Freddy is obsessed with superheros and kept pointing to his pizza saying "BATMAN!"  I couldn't figure out what he wanted but eventually just took took some bites of the crust to make it into the shape of the bat symbol.   Not sure if that was his intention but oh my goodness - that boy was in heaven.  He kept that batman pizza crust and played with it the rest of the day.  

TOON LAGOON:

Bilge-Rat Barges. This was the funniest ride - you can even tell but we all SOAKED to the bone.  Most wet rides squirt you here and there but this ride just dumped on you.  It surprised you and traumatized you so much that you came away from it bonded as a group.  My dad had his iphone and luckily it's waterproof because when I say drrrenched I mean drrrrrenched. 

WOODY WOODPECKER'S KIDZONE:

Nuthouse Coaster nutjob :)

Fievel's Playground

This was a playground where you feel like a mouse and everything is giant.  It's really cute.  And we went on this slide over and over.  Grandma and Grandpa both went and the kids LOVED it.  Meanwhile ---- Joey and Luke did this:

-Revenge of the Mummy

-Transformers

- The Simpsons 

-Men in Black 

- Escape from Gringotts again

(4 adults and 4 kids was really so great.  We felt so lucky that my parents came!)

MINION MAYEHM:

On the 3rd day the girls wore their minion shirts and brought their minions their dad won them the day before.  They were so excited to ride the minions ride again.   The 3rd day was the day we rode all our favorite rides again.

Lucy's two favorite rides were Minion Mayhem and Jurassic Park River Adventure.   Maryanne loves Minions too but wasn't too keen on the idea of BECOMING a Minion.  So the first time didn't go over well.   But after the ride when she saw that we were all still human - she was excited to try it again.  :)

This is their daddy winning them their Minions.  This game was great because if you lose you win.  I like that.  (If you win you got a bear the size of a car - which nobody wants right? and if you lose you get a minion.  Lose = Win)

and look who we just happened to run into... Hello Kitty!  Freddy was so enamored by her.

One of the kid's favorite memories is actually back at the hotel one night when we stayed up extra late and went swimming.  We had some fun bonding time with the grandparents in the hot tub and then another family showed up who just happened to be mormon and also homeschool!  How crazy is that?! 

Oh and before I end - Luke wants me to write about King Kong.  Luke & me and G&G ran off to ride King King and Luke said "the line is scarier than the ride!" and he was right.  When we got there - there was no line.  We walked through this creepy dark maze with no one in sight.  No workers or customers or anything.   It felt like a spook alley but we were all alone so it was even spookier.  And we couldn't see anything so I was holding on to Luke.  Then at then end of long tunnel an arm GRABBED my arm.  I screamed so loud and Luke just LOVED that and thought it was so funny how scared I was.  So it must be recorded.  :)