Hey guys, so we were able to visit UOR a few weeks earlier than planned for a little cheaper, and here is my first ever trip report! Here’s a little background info: we went with four adults total, stayed on property (Cabana Bay), no Express Passes, we didn’t even use a touring plan because the crowds were so low, and it wasn’t a first or second trip for any of us. We were just planning on taking it slow, enjoying the atmosphere, and hitting our favorite rides. We really weren’t in a rush, or feeling overwhelmed with having to see everything.
We left Tuesday night arriving at the hotel at 2:00 in the morning. We knew we’d sleep in, and do what we could when we arrived even if we were allowed early entry.
Wednesday—We ate at the hotel, took the shuttle (there was nobody else in line for it), whizzed through security (it was seriously so fast how security is at UOR now), stopped to take a look at Voodoo Donuts. We already had our tickets so we then arrived at Universal around 10:00am.
I thought for sure the place would already have long lines, but it didn’t. We rode the Mummy twice with a five min. wait, rode Jimmy Fallon (no return time just stand by ten min.), walked around different stores, and ate at Mel’s Diner. We wanted to ride Fast and the Furious but it was down. We then saw Shrek 4D, met Optimus Prime, rode Transformers (five min wait), met Bumblebee, then headed the the Horror and Make Up Show. When we got out, we met Beetlejuice (we’re big fans of the movie) Marge, Bart, and Homer, Gru, and the Scooby Doo gang. We headed for ET (rode twice with a ten minute wait), and the Simpsons Land (twenty min). By now, the time was about 3:30. We headed to Harry Potter, and saw that Fast and the Furious just opened up with a fifteen minute wait time. Since only one of us had seen the franchise, there were really no expectations, but it was great! I really enjoyed it, and thought that the line was really cool to walk through. I didn’t get nauseous at all (a first), and it was just a fun ride to experience. By around 4:30, we were in Diagon Alley drinking Butterbeer and eating snacks, doing spells, taking pics, watching the shows, pretty much enjoying the atmosphere. We went looking in the shops, and rode Escape From Gringotts (which is my favorite ride) twice with a twenty five minute wait, but it was shorter than that. Around 6:30, we decided to head to IOA, so we rode the HE (this line was one of the longest on our entire trip—thirty minutes), and it was a little longer. By the time we got off the train and headed into Hogsmeade, it was closer to 7:30. Forbidden Journey had a five minute wait time, and it really was. I have a love/hate relationship with this ride, as I love to see the atmosphere and how the ride changes (every single time I’ve been on it, it had some change to the ride), but I get nauseous no matter how much medicine I take. When it was finished, we walked around doing spells and shopping. We saw the Hogwarts Lights Show on the castle once, and rode Flight of the Hippogriff while the show was going on at least three times, there was no line! That ride is one I never go on because it’s a little roller coaster, but it was so fun at night. By the time the park closed at 9:00, we went to get dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. It was a great day, and other than FJ, NO motion sickness! For this trip, I was really worried about getting drowsy because Dramamine and Bonine both make me sluggish. I saw online that some adults took kids Dramamine because it has the same stuff in it, but didn’t make them sleepy. I decided to give it a try. I took the kids Dramamine, and wore sea bands. I didn’t feel drowsy or nauseous. Day two coming soon!
I would love one of those.