That’s a tough choice! I am able to be there at the front of the pack for RD. However, if I was running “late”, like 30 minutes before RD, I might go over to the AP entrance. They’ll have signage, but IME it won’t have many people there. Often they only have one TM doing that gate, but it could still be better. I hate getting in the main gate queue behind the group of 6 with paper tickets that never seem to scan and each person has to do their fingerprints for the first time!! 
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Well that’s as early as I’m going this time, since I’ll have UXP and VC is XP now… I’m not really pressed for time at all (see my 5-6 hours midday break because sweating is eww) and Hagrid is one of the lines I don’t really care about waiting in that much.
EDIT: I just read this and holy hell it reads like some weird cult jargon.
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Nice plans, thanks for sharing!
FYI, you can edit the OP to the UOR Trip Report category so others know that you are (or almost) on site.
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I’ve never sub-categorized before. 
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It’s also nice that users can click on that sub category to view only TR’s for researching. 
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Well, the trip has begun!!
The day began auspiciously with my hairdryer dying, and me having to shuffle the crap in my backpack to accommodate hair product to wash my hair at the hotel tonight. 
After a pointless day at work (I did like 27 minutes of actual work), I got underway. Made it through the gauntlet of construction that is doubling pretty much every drive anywhere… literally every road or highway I can take from my house is under construction within 2 miles of my house at some point.
Randomly selected for additional screening at PreCheck, which led to additional additional screening after the scanner because there’s a mysterious alien implant in my left calf that sets it off 90% of the time, which is the main reason I got PreCheck to begin with because there’s never even a line at the airport here.
Now food.
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Well…this sounds better than everything else you said, except where you said the trip has begun!
Safe travels!!!
Greasy breakfast all day at a coney island (a Detroit version of a dive-y diner)… this is Detroit tradition.
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Phew! There was a lady with 3 kids sitting by me, and just after boarding started she went to give one of them insulin and realized they left it at security. 
I told the gate agent what was up, and asked them to wait if they could… they made it just before they were going to close the doors! 
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Thank goodness!!!
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Ugh! Ironically, I am packing my insulin supplies literally as I was reading this.
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I’m all checked in at Portofino Bay and I went down and had a couple of drinks at the Thirsty Fish bar in the harbor area.
One things that’s great about Universal hotels, and it may be a Loew’s thing, is that when you check in they send you a text asking if they can text you all of the resort dining, entertainment, and activity information. It has locations, hours, menus, etc. That text line also stays open for the duration of your stay, and even a little after so you can just send a text if you have any questions or issues at all. They’re really good about taking care of pretty much anything you need.
This particular hotel is kind of sprawling and a little confusing. I’ve stayed here like 3 other times, twice for 5 days, and I still really don’t have a good feel for the overall layout. I got an excellent room location for someone who likes coffee and quiet this time, though! I’m in the East Wing, which is the opposite side to the pools, and right outside the door at the end of my hallway is Starbucks. It will be right on my way to the boats in the morning.
I’m in a garden view king on the first floor.
The ceilings are hiiiigh. I don’t remember my rooms here having ceilings this high before. For reference, the middle pane of the window is like 3 inches taller than me.
It says that max occupancy is 3 with a rollaway, but that chair-and-a-half is a pullout single so I’m thinking they won’t actually bring in a real rollaway (which they do if you have a 5th in a 2 queens here, and it’s comfy… they plop it between the two beds and the room is spacious enough that it’s not super cramped, unlike at Royal Pacific). You could have an unlisted 3rd in here that way, but they wouldn’t get UXP or early entry.
The only USBs are on the alarm clock, but that also has a wireless charging pad, and there are regular outlets on both nightstands and the table lamp.
Minifridge, no microwave.
Keurig, with totally no-name k-cups.
There’s no minibar, just 2 bottles of Fiji water that cost $7.50 each. Room service is 24 hours, with decent options still available overnight.
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I do love that texting ability at UOR too. So convenient.
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I forgot to to mention that I had carpool karaoke with my Uber driver, possibly around the same time as the Bubblez’s did.
My driver was Filipino and my favorite part about Filipino culture is the love of just singing along to any music that’s on, anytime, anywhere. Like, I knew they had a “karaoke culture” from hanging out with my friend’s family (every family member has a karaoke machine in their house, and it gets used allllll the time), but I was wholly unprepared for just how much everyone participates when I went to her wedding in the Philippines.
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Aaand were off! Starbucks spelled my name right without me telling them about the H.
I made it to the gates by about 7:15… there was already a considerable crowd, but the AP line wasn’t too bad.
Then they branched us off into 3 separate lines at about 7:25. It’s 7:40 now and the lines are about halfway to the bridge, but keep in mind we’re all the way to the side so that’s not that far. I’m 5th in my line. I can’t see the end of the regular lines from here… I’m guessing they’re all the way to the bridge.
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Have a great day!!
Thanks! It’s looking great so far… weather is predicted in the low 80s, mostly sunny with just a little storm in the mid-afternoon.
The AP entrance does get you in beyond a bit of a crowd, but it’s for sure an advantage unless you’re the very first in line at the regular entry. I walked my normal semi-quick pace and used a locker and got to the ride entrance right at 8:00. I didn’t stop walking until 1 switchback before boarding, and was on the ride (front row, woo!) by 8:13.
Now breakfast!
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That’s amazing. That’s how we spell our DD’s middle name.
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