Flights booked for our Thanksgiving trip! I always get nervous when Southwest drops their batch of flights when I’m not sitting at my work computer 
Luckily, the flights opened up right before I showered.
I was also nervous about flight prices with fuel being as high as it is. We used our LUV vouchers from Sunday’s delay, and my company’s employee discount code, and it came to $1487 round trip for the 4 of us. Not bad for Thanksgiving week travel, so I’m pleased.
We have Portofino booked for Thanksgiving and I’m looking forward to more space. Royal Pacific has been nice but the rooms are a bit small. I miss the little things from DVC studios, like hooks on the wall near the door to the room, which helps for hanging items. Also miss the kitchenette. I’ve been using the Keurig for hot water for my oatmeal and it’s been working well.
While I miss DVC rooms, I don’t miss many of the other things with Disney vacation planning, however. Express pass and walkability have been great.
I will also say, the service has been fantastic here. With labor shortages, I was expecting issues on housekeeping, slow service at restaurants, etc. We have those problems at home. We’ve experienced none of that here. I think dining still has limitations on how many tables they are seating, but that’s so they can still deliver good service. Universal has been really great.
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I like the sound of your leisurely days!
Have fun!
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Hit up Starbucks on citywalk on the way in. The most efficient Starbucks I’ve ever seen. It was wild. So many workers & I got my drink faster than I get it with mobile order in Indy.
Tried to see Beat Builders at 10:10 am but there was a marching band on the nearby streets so they just walked away & didn’t perform 
Bought several things at gift shops today & am using the “send it to your resort” option. It’s awesome! I don’t have to carry stuff around, it’ll show up in my room tomorrow. Today is the last day I can use it before we leave Saturday.
We rode Fast n the Furious and it was absolutely ridiculous. I expected this and just went along with the stupidity.
Then we went to #12 Grimmauld Place & hit up Diagon Alley again. I love Diagon Alley. It’s absolutely my favorite place in all of Universal. We went & got ice cream at Florean Fortescue’s. It was delicious. Bought some stuff at Borgin & Burkes, did some magic, and now sitting for lunch at Lombard’s. They are slammed here. We are sitting next to a table of 8 so service is slow (I think I jinxed myself earlier).
After this, we will check out Simpsons land. We will ride Kang & Kodos Twirl & Hurl, check out Duff Gardens, and then I want to do Destination Dreamworks &
Horror Make-up show. Still want to watch Beat Builders. Girls have been screaming to ride Jimmy Fallon again. I think they like the Jimmy Fallon ride better than Jimmy Fallon does.
This will be low-key rides and lots of streetmosphere.
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I think How to Train Your Dragon will be featured in the new park Universal is building! Epic Universe? It sounds epic from what I’ve read.
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Ooh, where’s that King Kong photo op?
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It’s at the Tribute Store in Universal Studios. Located near the Jimmy Fallon ride.
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Yesterday was so much fun & ended not-so-great.
We did Twirl & Hurl, then went and saw the Despicable Me character float, getting a pic with Gru. Went to Horror Make-up Show and thoroughly enjoyed it.
After we came out, we got pics with Beetlejuice! It was great….he was like “really? Kids? Ugh.” And then proceeded to grab my girls by their pony tails & said “on your tiptoes, girls.” We all laughed.
Saw SpongeBob & Patrick. Then over to Dreamworks pavilion. Afterwards, we rode Men in Black and everyone enjoyed it.
We ended the day at Cowfish. We all loved it! Except I didn’t love it when I got back to the room. Started getting horrible cramps shortly after getting back to Royal Pacific. I barely slept. Guessing it was the sushi? I’m the only one that had sushi, it tasted great. My stomach is usually sound (my husband has the issues, normally) but man, oh man, I feel like death. Took a Dramamine at 4 am to get a couple hours sleep. Only issue was extreme cramping, um, nothing coming out anywhere if you know what I mean.
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Oh man! I’m so sorry.
Glad you got a little sleep mom sorry for your upset stomach. Hope you can salvage the day!
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Thank you for your kind words—I’m seeing Starbucks Citywalk in my future.
I really want to ride Forbidden Journey later and I’ve heard it’s brutal for motion sickness. Game-time decision whether mom is up to the ride or if I just do the queue this trip & hang with the 6 year old in child swap.
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FJ is the only ride I got off that trip and needed time to get my head straight!
Normally - off a ride - I’m holding kids’ hands and talking, etc.
After that one - I couldn’t be touched. I couldn’t talk. I needed to breathe and find a half wall to hold onto. That’s happened to me maybe a few times ever.
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Oh no. That’s awful. Sorry you felt sick.
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Great photos!!
Oh no, sorry about the dodgy tummy.
Do you think something you ate had gluten in it?
Hope you’re better and can continue having fun!
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I don’t think it’s gluten— I’m lucky, I have a sensitivity and not an allergy. I’m not celiac, I have a thyroid autoimmune thing where gluten causes inflammation and not rashes or vomiting, etc.
Thank you for your concern, though.
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Thank you. I’m rallying today but still thinking forbidden journey will be a queue-only experience for the sake of all parties involved.
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At least you can rule that out then 
My sister has to eat wheat free (which is essentially gluten free) because of a sensitivity, but she suffers with gastric issues if any slips in accidentally 
Glad you’re rallying. Continue to get better…
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That makes me sad for you. The queue is fabulous but so is the ride.
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Stopped at Starbucks in citywalk again. Daniel is the late 60 year-old guy bellowing out names for the drink orders and is my new hero.
We walked into Studios (I’m realizing that it’s my favorite park out of the two.) We turned the corner and saw the mystery machine! Hubby posed for a picture. Immediately after that, we see Bart and Homer and my 6 year old is mildly obsessed with Bart. Another goal down!
After that, we waited for the Transformers meet & greet. We were pleased it was Bumblebee, literally the only Transformers movie my daughters have seen and “one of the nice good guys & not a scary decepticon.”
We watched “sing it” singing acapella, then headed over to MIB to ride that again. On to one more ride before our 12 pm lunch reservation at Toothsome. We rode, what else? Jimmy freaking Fallon.
Oh, and Hogwarts Express is still closed. Won’t open early. Boo.
Sitting at Toothsome and I’m going to try to eat a burger. Fingers-crossed I can handle it.
Agenda for the balance of the day is IoA and Storm Force Acceletron, Kong, meeting an adult velociraptor, and then walking through Hogwarts on the Forbidden Journey queue.
We have dining reservations at our resort for the Wok experience at Islands dining room. After that, we will try to catch Hogwarts lights and then off to bed.
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I figure it’s better to wait and do it when we are back Thanksgiving week. I just know I’d be too concerned I’d get sick if I went for it now. And if someone else got sick and I smelled or saw that? Game. Over.
I’m disappointed too and wish I did it earlier this week, but knowing we have two more trips booked on this AP makes me okay with the decision.
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