Update: Our AC was fixed this afternoon. Bad capacitor.
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Is it a flux capacitor? Those can really take you times.
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I was hoping someone would make a BTTF reference! 
(I wore my BTTF shirt to Universal as an homage to the dearly departed attraction there.)
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I don’t comment much (mostly lurk) but have really enjoyed following along! This is probably the most organized trip report I’ve ever seen - and something I would totally do as a fellow accountant 
How did DD2 do with her mask and how did you prepare her? My middle child will be 2y2m when we go in September and I’m a little worried (although maybe it won’t be an issue by then).
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Thanks!
We were very lucky in that DD2 has always loved wearing her masks, I think because she was emulating her older siblings. She often goes shopping with DW to the grocery store, etc. and always requests her Minnie masks. DW has a whole bag of Minnie masks for her.
That said, no CM ever said anything if she was not masked, which happened from time to time (once she even lost her mask and we weren’t able to get her spare from DW’s bag for a while). Just do your best and people will be understanding (assuming masks are still required then).
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I’m gonna go fix this typo now.
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Please tell me the typo was a missing t! Yes I am a tweenage boy at heart!
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I just wanted to thank you again for such a great trip report! I loved all your essays on the different aspects of your trip and so many wonderful photos of your beautiful family! I swear if I didn’t have my own solo trip coming up in August I could have been satisfied living vicariously through your trip.
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Thank you!
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By adding the second, “t” I hope.
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You’ll need more than functioning AC…
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Ha ha ha
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You tell this face you skipped 300 of her dad’s posts! 
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Maybe I will go back and read them if I am considering visiting Universal. Ha. I mean on our first family trip I told my kids that mom and dad would try not to say no to anything, which they did not even take advantage of, but Jeff must have said no and made her mad/sad. Just kidding to do that many days and she only had that look a couple of times he/they must have done an extraordinary job.
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I’ve loved every bit of this trip report, including the retrospective posts! So informative and super fun to read. Thanks again for taking us along! 
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I never follow Universal trips. It’s, like, against my religion.
I followed this one. LOL
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TRIP RETROSPECTIVE
PART 6
Products
There were a few items I bought for my trip that I am going to share with you all in case it is helpful when you are planning / packing. Links are provided for purchase (see the blue text). I don’t necessarily recommend the exact brands / models we purchased, but I do recommend being familiar with these items and bringing them if they are applicable for you. (I really should get royalties for this, but I’m not. 
)
My smartest purchase for this trip was a sling bag. I hate wearing backpacks - they make my back sweaty and cause muscle aches from supporting them. This bag was just the right size to fit my spare battery, as well as anything else I wanted to bring along with me (generally I tried to limit it to cash, my wallet, medicine, a spare mask, and sunglasses). The only thing it was not large enough for that I at one point wanted to carry with me was a regular sized iPad (for the airplane). It was not water proof, but was water resistant enough that only the items directly against my back got wet in the rain (from water seeping through, not from landing on the backpack). It was easy to switch shoulders, wear on the front, loop across my chest, or other configurations to change things up. I will never wear a backpack on vacation again.
Here is an action shot of me wearing it, plus an image from Amazon.
Lanyards are essential for Universal, particularly if you have Express Passes. You can keep your lanyard with you on every ride, including Hulk, Velocicoaster, and RRR (tucked into your shirt), so you can always have your room key and admission with you. You can buy lanyards at UOR, but they are much more expensive than buying at home - one UOR lanyard ($14 + $5 for pouch) is about the same as the pack we bought ($15) which included 5 colors and included clear plastic pouches. They were a little long for the kids, so we tied the end in a knot (this also gave me peace of mind that they wouldn’t come off as easily).
If you are not going to UOR but have young children, lanyards are a great way to keep masks handy and secure! The littlest DDs wouldn’t clip their masks because of the added weight and since they weren’t able to use the clip themselves, but DS9 and DD7 were able to work the clip themselves. Have an extra one in your bag in case one of them breaks or is lost. DD2 liked to wear hers as a necklace so she could match her siblings.
I did not like the Universal face masks - they were a little tighter, less breathable, and more itchy. The second generation Disney face masks were the best. If it weren’t for the Florida humidity, I would forget I was wearing one (I routinely wore them to work all year). I recommend trying the different sizes to see what works best for you and your family (I wore XL).
I get motion sickness on motion simulators (Star Tours, Flight of Passage, Forbidden Journey, etc.) and sometimes on turbulent flights. I have tried Bonine, regular Dramimine, and Less Drowsy Dramamine, and they all worked for motion sickness, but also made me drowsy (even the less drowsy formula).
I tried the Non-Drowsy ginger pills this trip, and either my motion sickness magically went away, or they worked. I took one pill about 30 minutes before an offending ride (just once per day) and also tried to minimize motion sickness by requesting a seat near the center of the vehicle or theater. It also helped to breathe and to have air blowing on my face (FoP and Mission Space: Green had this and it was great). I only got very mild motion sickness a couple of times, and it wasn’t enough to bother me. (Ironically, the worst instance was on a bus!)
I really like the packaging of the less-drowsy formula - it comes in a little compact canister. The Non-Drowsy formula comes in what I call “horse pills.” They may not be easy for children or those with an aversion to swallowing to take. (But better than the alternative. )
We have bought this model of double stroller at least 3 times now. It comes in multiple color schemes for as little as $74 or up to $99. It is lightweight, very slim (rivals some single strollers), has retractable canopies (that don’t provide much protection from rain, but sufficient from sunlight), a cup holder (which clips on - we left it at home since it’s makes the stroller more difficult to maneuver), and mesh bags in the back where you can stow your diapers and other necessities (we used clear gallon sized Ziploc bags for easy security checks - they never had to remove or open the bags). DD9 and DD7 sat in it sometimes, but the size was more suited to DD4 and DD2 (I don’t recommend it for large children - ours are all petite). There is a clip in the back which allows you to recline the seats for napping. DD2 fell asleep multiple times in this stroller.
There are other similar strollers that are probably just as good or better, but since we have been satisfied with this one we’re sticking to it.
DW and I each had a portable charger. Hers was a cheap one I bought in the check-out lane at Walmart for probably $15 and did the job. Mine was this Anker 20,000 mAh. I only had to recharge it one time halfway through the trip, even though I used it almost daily in the afternoon. (Recharge takes several hours to overnight - it has an indicator telling you how close it is to dying.) They say it holds about 4-5 full charges depending on your type of phone.
Take note of which cords are included with your purchase - you need a separate cord to recharge the battery, as well as one to hook up to your phone. A battery is essential these days with Magic Mobile, Boarding Groups, virtual queues, Play Disney, and of course, live trip reporting! This one is currently going for ~$40 (I don’t remember what I paid), but you can find cheaper models of similar quality.
I am still kicking myself for leaving these in our stroller when we were on Tom Sawyer Island. These were ultra-light, compact, and sturdy. And at $17 for an assortment of 20 adult and child size ponchos, very cheap. My only complaint was that they were difficult to open. Seriously, I felt like George Castanza trying to rip the little package open while rain was pouring down (if you know, you know). 
Solve this by pre-perforating the bags or just leaving one end completely open.
I recommend keeping one in each person’s bag, even if you don’t think you’ll need one that day. They are so compact and light, it’s worth it. At least have the adult ones with you if you are going to leave the kids’ ponchos in the stroller (they can hover under yours like chicks under a hen’s wings).
My wife and I both bought sandals from Kohl’s (here is the link to the women’s style. They were comfortable enough to wear all day, even while walking several miles. They did start to irritate certain spots, so keep an eye on that. I ended up putting a band-aid on one toe that was chafing. You really need good sandals for when it rains or if you expect to ride a lot of rides that soak you. They are also helpful at water parks (at Volcano Bay there were cubbies at the entrance to most slides so you could store sandals, hats, glasses, etc.).
I bought this when I thought we’d need to do temperature checks so I could check before leaving the hotel room. Turned out to not be necessary, but it’s still good to have around the house. Again, forehead scanning is better than the alternatives. (No, that’s not the one I’m referring to. Or that one. Yes, now you’ve got it. )
Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando
Even if you already have the Unofficial Guide to WDW, give the Universal Orlando version a try. I had been to UOR, but there was so much I didn’t know. Thanks to the guidebook, I was able to figure out tips and tricks about AP discounts, premium seating at VB, determine which rides would aggravate my motion sickness, etc.
We didn’t end up taking these with us because we used DME instead of renting a car, but we did buy a couple of different versions of this and liked the original model the best since it was more compact. They are not super comfy - very tight fit - but do the job if you need a booster chair on the go. Keep in mind that while compact, they are not super lightweight (they appear to be made from dark matter) so I wouldn’t take one in a stroller or diaper bag. I’d leave it in my luggage and only take it out if needed. (The new model is even heavier / bulkier, but slightly more comfortable and probably more safe.)
That’s all for this post! Will there be another? 
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The lanyards are a good call for UOR. Just be weary of the type of lanyard they will accept in the park. I do not recall the exact requirements, but it has to do with the ability of it to “break away” if caught on something. In your picture I see the clip. That may be what they are looking for.
You sling bag looks great. I agree about a backpack in the parks. I love the convenience, but the sweaty mess on the back I can do with out. My DS and I decided to use fanny packs when we went last time. <<Insert 80’s rad/choice response here>>. The one thing they will be looking for at universal is that it has 3 male prongs on the clip instead of two so that it will stay on on the rides.
A large battery bank charger is a must on all our trips as well. It is going to become even more important as they phase out your magic band and make you use your phone for your tickets/BGs and or FPP.
Someone mentioned it earlier in this thread about the Walmart special ponchos as a good choice if you are not worried about keeping them. I agree with that and we typically bring mutiple pnchos for everyone each trip. If fits nicely in our fanny packs along with our sunscreen, phone and battery chargers.
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These lanyards do break away - mine broke away one time, which scared me that it would fall off on a ride, but that is probably a good thing so you don’t get choked by it. The way we tied the knot was probably not a good idea - should have tied it at the bottom to reduce the length without eliminating the breakaway feature.
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someone’s buckin’ for some comissions.
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