A Scot's on his way.

[anihilnation]

Orlando, you've been so much fun as always!

Good journey!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I've not forgot to update this, it's just been a busy few days trying to get as much done as possible.

I'll probably give an overview of the past few days in one post, a review of CBBR in another and then might make a separate thread about my concerns about Universal because after 4 trips, 3 of them weren't great and the future is looking like a mixed bag.

You're on vacation, dont worry about updating us! I'm intrigued to hear your thoughts.

 

[Teebin]

Are you back across the pond now Scott?

 

[Scott W.]

Are you back across the pond now Scott?

I arrived just before 4am this morning. A nice 6h 40min flight, probably the quickest flight I've ever had home. About to start posting my thoughts.

 

[Teebin]

I look forward to them!

 

[Scott W.]

Monday was Universal with a detour through Sapphire Falls to get the boat across. The hotel looked amazing and had a good vibe to it too. The boat is a huge asset to the hotel and the skipper was hilarious going over. Overall I thought that the staff at UOR have been, well not bad but not good either but the skipper was one of the best. We went Universal Studios and managed to fill the gaps of the rides we missed ( MIB and Minions) and Gringotts on the first row which made it feel like a completely different ride. We got the HE over to Islands which was always a comptlely different experince when going the opposite way. Being able to buy a carry out for the authentic British train experience was a nice touch.

It started raining just as we arrived in Islands which makes the park almost pointless as there is almost nothing to do when it rains. DC was down, so was the outside part of Kong (Not that I had any reason to ride again) JP, Dudley, Popeyes, Hulk, Doom were all down too. If DC is going, I hope it's an indoor ride or coaster that replaces it to bring some balance to the park when it rains which it often does.

We decided to walk back to the hotel as the parks were going through a mass exodus of people and we were soaked and didn't want to wait for buses. None of the boats seemed to be running either I don't know if this is normal protocol or not but if I was staying at any of the other on site hotels, I'd have been incredibly pissed off about this. About 50 steps out the park, I walked bare foot.

 

[Scott W.]

We had originally planned to do EPCOT on Monday but changed due to the weather which luckily turned out to be a good move. We had also planned to drink around the world but given the uncertainty of the weather recently, I decided to drive which ended up costing more in parking as we had 2 free trips on Uber for signing up.

This was our first time at Food and Wine and we had a blast but I'll talk about this later.

I don't know how but we managed to get a FP for Frozen at 11am. Just as we arrived, the ride was down but was up about 10min after and we virtually managed to walk on. I had low expectations for the ride but I really enjoyed it. It's nice to see an old fashioned ride with good AAs. As much as I enjoyed it, it was equally as rewarding to see the kids on the ride on and their excitement.

Finding Nemo was good but I can't get my head around how SeaWorld is getting so much abuse when Disney seem to be doing nothing different but that's another topic all together.

Figment is still a fun ride. It was a little sad to see the photos of Gene Wilder and Robin Williams on the walls, somebody in the queue made the comment that Rick Moranis was next followed by some nervous laughter.

Soarin' was great. I noticed some of the CGI but it doesn't matter. It's a beautifully crafted ride and when broken down to it's foundation, it should suck but it's one of my favourite rides in Orlando. We were stat dead centre on the screen. I also made the mistake of looking down half way through the ride, holy crap! I didn't realise just how high you are off the ground and I'm amazed by how free you can still feel in your seat.

Test Track was good but after being on RSR, it feels like it should be so much better.

Spaceship Earth is the same as always but weirdly I don't think it really needs an update. The only issue was the end of the ride where the video with your face wasn't working and it didn't seem to be working for anybody but that's a minor thing.

We avoided Mission: Space like the plague.

The photographers were every where again and we got some great photos. We managed to meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy one after the other which was such a clever way to do, I don't know why this isn't implemented into the other parks. It's kind of funny to see even the hardest looking of people, soften up when they see the characters but I guess that's the Disney magic.

Food and Wine completely changed the feel of the park. I think we managed to try 15 of the 30 places. Most of the food was great as were the drinks. Since I had the car, I only had 2 of the small beers knowing that I wouldn't be driving for hours and played it well and truly safe. Laura seemed to enjoy all her cocktails though.

I was genuinely surprised how clean the park still was with so many people eating and there was virtually no bad smells around the bins so I think Disney deserve full credit for that. The only reason I bring it up, is that the bins smelled terrible at Universal, that fizzy soda that's been left in the sun for hours smell. (Weirdly, I thought a big part of that problem would have been solved with the Freestyle Cups but there you go)

The best food was either the butter chicken or the Beijing roasted duck. Both were awesome and I would have happily had more but there was so much we wanted to try.

Disappointingly, the worst food we had was from Scotland but I don't know if that's because we know how it should taste of the lack of haggis which we learned is apparently illegal in the US.

I had thought it would have been a more expensive day but since we didn't have the need for drinks, breakfast, lunch or dinner, it kind of balanced itself out. We spent more but since it was an all day thing, it felt like a cheap day kind of for the full experience.

The park started to die down later which left us with a good view for the fireworks which I haven't seen I was a kid and was Laura's first time which we both enjoyed.

All in all, it was a great day out. I'm sure I'm missing things out but Tuesday feels like a life time ago now.

Edit: While, I remember. Did you get that can of Irn Bru @RevFreako ?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

ad to see the photos of Gene Wilder and Robin Williams on the walls, somebody in the queue made the comment that Rick Moranis was next followed by some nervous laughter.

That's Eric Idol not Gene Wilder....

 

[Scott W.]

That's Eric Idol not Gene Wilder....

You know, I couldn't remember the guys name before that guy said that joke but I knew he sang always look on the bright side of life and it was stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

I feel like a moron now that I got them confused. :bonk:

 

[Teebin]

but I knew he sang always look on the bright side of life

Is that the scene where they cut to the dungeons and some old chained guy clapping his hands to the tune? That always killed me. Lover of black humor here.

 

[IzzyB]

I really like your reviews, can't wait to read more and your overall opinion of your trip. It is nice having the perspective of someone that doesn't go all the time and did so much in one trip.

wanted to add there are a couple meet and greets that you get to see 2 characters in a row. I think Epcot is the only one with more than 2. Magic Kingdom has two places where there are 4, but they are split it to two lines so you have to wait twice to see all 4.

 

[Teebin]

I must have a black hole in my heart as I do no understand the allure of meet and greets. Everyone seems to love standing with the person in the uncomfortable costume with a head that has to be sanitized day after day. Plus, one never knows if it is a boy or a girl inside the outfit despite the costume. I could go on and really curl your hair...

Eeep, I feel like I just crushed a few dreams...

 

[IzzyB]

I must have a black hole in my heart as I do no understand the allure of meet and greets. Everyone seems to love standing with the person in the uncomfortable costume with a head that has to be sanitized day after day. Plus, one never knows if it is a boy or a girl inside the outfit despite the costume. I could go on and really curl your hair...

Eeep, I feel like I just crushed a few dreams...

Prior to kids I never did any meet and greets, but post kids we do them if the line is 20 minutes or less and we have time. The main reason is seeing your child's face light up is priceless. Or sometimes in my youngest daughter's case, seeing her freak out and run to mommy is really funny We did the weekend at the parks thing when my friend was in town and did a ton of meet and greets since they were doing the vacation thing. My oldest loved it. The one day I took her to see Mickey because we were waiting to meet up with them and the line was 10 minutes. It was her favorite part. She loved seeing Mickey, she talked about it all day. So I see the lure for families.

Now I do know a lot of adults that do meet and greets and that is also fine in my book. We just never did because we were locals and would prefer doing the rides. Maybe if we weren't and did a true vacation where you are at the parks every day, maybe we would have done them. I also think having memory maker you want to preserve the memories and doing character M&Gs allows you to get more pictures. Especially with the characters of the park you are in.

 

[Teebin]

Prior to kids I never did any meet and greets, but post kids we do them if the line is 20 minutes or less and we have time. The main reason is seeing your child's face light up is priceless. Or sometimes in my youngest daughter's case, seeing her freak out and run to mommy is really funny

Yeah, I saw my nieces go bonkers over the characters as well and it really caught me off guard. Those darned things called kids.

 

[Scott W.]

Wednesday was Wet n Wild and I found this to be a little heartbreaking. Sure it isn't themed as well as Disney and it isn't as new as Aquatica but ride for ride, it's got to be the best water park in Orlando. It was insanely quiet to the point, I don't even remember waiting once for a single ride, in all my trips, I've never seen the park that quiet.

The overall morale in the park was low, I think all the staff couldn't really care as their jobs are on the chopping block come December, most were on their phones or talking to one another before addressing a customer which I found rude but like a good Brit, I can't complain. I've always admired people in the US for their ability to complain about things. There were some great views of Volcano Bay from the rides which I also found a little sad as you could see the park that would be the destroyer of Wet n Wild growing in the distance.

I didn't eat in the park but got another all day refillable cup which was good. Even though Universal owns Wet n Wild, I do feel that there is a huge difference between the parks but at this stage, why bother fixing the park to make it fall in line?

Parking was $15, I know I could have walked or got the bus but the times were kind of terrible. I think there was 2 bus trips early in the morning and 2 late in the afternoon and given the weather recently, it sounded like a gamble plus it was nearing the end of our vacation and we had spent less than expected at that stage. I also found it a little annoying that Disney don't charge for parking at their water parks and Wet n Wild do. (I don't know if Aquatica do or not as we never went plus we had free parking at all the SeaWorld parks anyway) I always think of Disney as being the most expensive of all the parks but I think they can get away with it, when Universal or SeaWorld charge more, it just seems completely ridiculous. On this point, I find it insane how expensive stuff was in the HP areas of the park for merchandise but the shops were always busy so they can clearly get away with it.

We got to the park about 10.30am, half an hour after it opened and I think we were the 15th car to drive in. We left about 3 after making 3 rounds of all the rides and lying by the wave pool. Weirdly, the day I was concerned about the weather was the first day I got sun burn. All in all, it was another good day out.

We went back to the outlets that night and that's were we discovered that we had bought more than expected. Even with the poor exchange rate, We'd still managed to buy enough clothes and presents to justify buying another suitcase, even though we had dumped all the toiletries out the cases coming and we had about 10kg each in our cases spare. It's incredible how much cheaper clothes are in the US compared to the UK. For reference, Laura bought a North Face jacket for $49, the exact same jacket here costs $200.

I think the saddest thing about Wet n Wild is that I think it will disappear into history so quickly. It was never really the sort of park you took photos of nor the most memorable or talked about but it was always a fun day out. I hope that @BriMan and the rest of the Orlando United people make a tribute article to the park or make one last visit before it disappears forever. It would have been nice to see Wet n Wild make it to 40 for a nice round number but I understand why it has to go. I can't wait for Volcano Bay, hopefully it brings all the fun plus the theming and quality we expect from a modern Orlando water park.

 

[Scott W.]

I almost forgot, when we were leaving Wet n Wild, PETA were at the corner next to the car park campaigning against SeaWorld and were mostly being ignored by everybody passing by.

Anyway, the next day we went to Busch and SeaWorld.

It was a quick drive to Busch. I've always found it amazing that as far as directions go, it's a less confusing drive to most Disney parks but I think the distance scares a lot of people away. The drive was interesting due to the car going crazy over tyre pressures which were changing constantly due to the increasing hot. It turned out to be a hot day, briefly hitting 100F at one point.

Busch felt a little different this year as I've always considered the park to be huge but this year it felt relatively quite small. I think it was because Kumba was closed and it seemed to turn the park into 3 small areas instead of 4.

Again like most of the parks outside of Disney, the park was quiet. We almost always head around the park anti clockwise (I think Brits and folk from the US always take opposite routes around parks but that's for another post) but this time we went to SheiKra first as this was our 3rd visit together and Laura has never managed to ride due to the weather. Weirdly, it only costs $5 for all day locker access compared to SeaWorld's $10. Anyway, the locker system was fairly simple and lockers were a plenty compared to Universal's system. Since you only need to access the screen to rent a locker and not to open one, it cuts the people needing to use a screen in half.

It's kind of weird to see Gwazi still standing doing nothing. I'm hoping that an RMC overhaul is going to be on the cards as I always have fond memories of the ride and I can't really remember being that rough as people say but then again, I was younger and indestructible compared to the 27 year old now who can only handle so many coasters in quick succession.

SheiKra always catches me off guard. Vertical drop coasters always look so easy but the drop is always kind of terrifying, especially hanging over the edge in a floorless train. Compared to Mako, the drop doesn't seem any where near as big even though it's the same height. For an 11 year old beast of a ride, it's still quite smooth and enjoyable.

By this point in the holiday, the only water rides we had done was Journey to Atlantis and Splash Mountain and that's us now been to every park. Stanley Falls was a nice way to cool down as the temperature started to quickly rise. It's poorly themed and a little rough but it's perfectly suited to a warm day.

Does anybody know what's going on at the Tidal Wave location? It looks like plenty of construction was going on.

I was a little bummed about Kumba being closed as I was genuinely curious to make a comparison between it and Hulk but quickly moving on.

We avoided Congo River Rapids as we wanted to get a little wet not soaked so we did the next best thing and spent about $5 in quarters soaking the people who did. It's a fine art to really get people soaked but so rewarding and my god, some people were angry. I can't understand the logic, you go on a water ride and then get angry when you get wet?

We went to Pantopia next and did Scorpion (rough but fun) Sand Serpent (rough but fun) and then debated going on Falcon's Fury. I generally don't mind heights but something about this turned my stomach and Laura wasn't going on it unless I really convinced her. We sat by the bench and watched it for about 5mins as people happily got off the ride and figured, it could be minimum 2 years before we return or maybe even 10 depending on how soon we want to start a family so we got in the queue.

Mentally this ride is terrifying but physically, it's probably one of the most tame rides in the park. Just before we got on, a family of 4 got off with 2 of the people nearing crying. As we got buckled in, the couple next to us told us how scary it was and then we started to rise. It took a minute to get to the top but it felt like a life time and then the tip forward which I thought would have been worse but then the drop started. I focused on a small manhole cover below me which was quickly approaching and then we flipped up and it was over. The drop was smaller and far smoother than I could have imagined and I hope that when we return, if we're with other people, we will get a kick out of watching people wait in line in the knowledge that the wait is the worst part.

Cheetah Hunt is still silky smooth and a great addition to the park. We've always found this to be the busiest ride in the park but again, this was a walk on.

After speaking to the guy at the entrance to Cobra's Curse, we managed to skip the snakes and get Laura on the ride safely. I kind of expected a weird look when asking about skipping the queue but the staff were pros and I'm guessing this is a bigger problem than I thought. Cobra's Curse was a disappointment however. The lift system was cool and it was quick loading but that's about it. It never really seemed to gain any momentum and when you finally get to free spin, the ride ends quickly. It was nicely themed however.

Montu was rough rough rough. Inverted coasters always are a bit more intense but this was ridiculous. It was always a favourite of mine but I'm not so sure now.

All in all, a good day out but it was quickly done, managing to do everything in about 3 hours. The only concerning thing I seen is that most of the animals looked far too hot and it was distressing to see.

We made our way back to SeaWorld with the sole intention of doing Manta and Mako. I've always had a love/hate thing with Manta. It's a great coaster but that damn pretzel loop is crazy intense. Since I'm about 40lbs lighter since my last trip, I figured this should make things easier but it still packs a punch but besides that, it's a good coaster and it's nice to have something different. We got held at the brakes for about 2mins before returning to the station and it was incredibly uncomfortable. When exiting the park later, the train stopped at the mid brake run for about 5min. Weirdly, a staff member was walking past, asked us if it has stopped and then ran to the station. It was almost like they didn't know it had stopped. It was weird but I'm sure I took the situation completely wrong.

Mako has to be my number 1 coaster now in Orlando and best new ride since my last trip. We managed to get 3 rides in since it was a walk on and we switched between the front and back row managing to stay in the back row for 2 rides in a row without having to exit and then queue again which was the first time I've seen a member of staff do this at any park regardless of how quiet it is.

 

[IzzyB]

I almost forgot, when we were leaving Wet n Wild, PETA were at the corner next to the car park campaigning against SeaWorld and were mostly being ignored by everybody passing by.

Anyway, the next day we went to Busch and SeaWorld.

It was a quick drive to Busch. I've always found it amazing that as far as directions go, it's a less confusing drive to most Disney parks but I think the distance scares a lot of people away. The drive was interesting due to the car going crazy over tyre pressures which were changing constantly due to the increasing hot. It turned out to be a hot day, briefly hitting 100F at one point.

Busch felt a little different this year as I've always considered the park to be huge but this year it felt relatively quite small. I think it was because Kumba was closed and it seemed to turn the park into 3 small areas instead of 4.

Again like most of the parks outside of Disney, the park was quiet. We almost always head around the park anti clockwise (I think Brits and folk from the US always take opposite routes around parks but that's for another post) but this time we went to SheiKra first as this was our 3rd visit together and Laura has never managed to ride due to the weather. Weirdly, it only costs $5 for all day locker access compared to SeaWorld's $10. Anyway, the locker system was fairly simple and lockers were a plenty compared to Universal's system. Since you only need to access the screen to rent a locker and not to open one, it cuts the people needing to use a screen in half.

It's kind of weird to see Gwazi still standing doing nothing. I'm hoping that an RMC overhaul is going to be on the cards as I always have fond memories of the ride and I can't really remember being that rough as people say but then again, I was younger and indestructible compared to the 27 year old now who can only handle so many coasters in quick succession.

SheiKra always catches me off guard. Vertical drop coasters always look so easy but the drop is always kind of terrifying, especially hanging over the edge in a floorless train. Compared to Mako, the drop doesn't seem any where near as big even though it's the same height. For an 11 year old beast of a ride, it's still quite smooth and enjoyable.

By this point in the holiday, the only water rides we had done was Journey to Atlantis and Splash Mountain and that's us now been to every park. Stanley Falls was a nice way to cool down as the temperature started to quickly rise. It's poorly themed and a little rough but it's perfectly suited to a warm day.

Does anybody know what's going on at the Tidal Wave location? It looks like plenty of construction was going on.

I was a little bummed about Kumba being closed as I was genuinely curious to make a comparison between it and Hulk but quickly moving on.

We avoided Congo River Rapids as we wanted to get a little wet not soaked so we did the next best thing and spent about $5 in quarters soaking the people who did. It's a fine art to really get people soaked but so rewarding and my god, some people were angry. I can't understand the logic, you go on a water ride and then get angry when you get wet?

We went to Pantopia next and did Scorpion (rough but fun) Sand Serpent (rough but fun) and then debated going on Falcon's Fury. I generally don't mind heights but something about this turned my stomach and Laura wasn't going on it unless I really convinced her. We sat by the bench and watched it for about 5mins as people happily got off the ride and figured, it could be minimum 2 years before we return or maybe even 10 depending on how soon we want to start a family so we got in the queue.

Mentally this ride is terrifying but physically, it's probably one of the most tame rides in the park. Just before we got on, a family of 4 got off with 2 of the people nearing crying. As we got buckled in, the couple next to us told us how scary it was and then we started to rise. It took a minute to get to the top but it felt like a life time and then the tip forward which I thought would have been worse but then the drop started. I focused on a small manhole cover below me which was quickly approaching and then we flipped up and it was over. The drop was smaller and far smoother than I could have imagined and I hope that when we return, if we're with other people, we will get a kick out of watching people wait in line in the knowledge that the wait is the worst part.

Cheetah Hunt is still silky smooth and a great addition to the park. We've always found this to be the busiest ride in the park but again, this was a walk on.

After speaking to the guy at the entrance to Cobra's Curse, we managed to skip the snakes and get Laura on the ride safely. I kind of expected a weird look when asking about skipping the queue but the staff were pros and I'm guessing this is a bigger problem than I thought. Cobra's Curse was a disappointment however. The lift system was cool and it was quick loading but that's about it. It never really seemed to gain any momentum and when you finally get to free spin, the ride ends quickly. It was nicely themed however.

Montu was rough rough rough. Inverted coasters always are a bit more intense but this was ridiculous. It was always a favourite of mine but I'm not so sure now.

All in all, a good day out but it was quickly done, managing to do everything in about 3 hours. The only concerning thing I seen is that most of the animals looked far too hot and it was distressing to see.

We made our way back to SeaWorld with the sole intention of doing Manta and Mako. I've always had a love/hate thing with Manta. It's a great coaster but that damn pretzel loop is crazy intense. Since I'm about 40lbs lighter since my last trip, I figured this should make things easier but it still packs a punch but besides that, it's a good coaster and it's nice to have something different. We got held at the brakes for about 2mins before returning to the station and it was incredibly uncomfortable. When exiting the park later, the train stopped at the mid brake run for about 5min. Weirdly, a staff member was walking past, asked us if it has stopped and then ran to the station. It was almost like they didn't know it had stopped. It was weird but I'm sure I took the situation completely wrong.

Mako has to be my number 1 coaster now in Orlando and best new ride since my last trip. We managed to get 3 rides in since it was a walk on and we switched between the front and back row managing to stay in the back row for 2 rides in a row without having to exit and then queue again which was the first time I've seen a member of staff do this at any park regardless of how quiet it is.

Nice overview of Busch Gardens! Thanks!

Disney will also let you stay on if no line, but the only ride this ever applies to is barnstormer which most on here are not going on. lol

 

[amityboattours]

The overall morale in the park was low, I think all the staff couldn't really care as their jobs are on the chopping block come December, most were on their phones or talking to one another before addressing a customer which I found rude but like a good Brit, I can't complain. I've always admired people in the US for their ability to complain about things.

Considering the fact that employees at Wet n Wild are being offered relocation opportunities to Volcano Bay, you'd think they'd be a little more 'on point' whilst at work. Even more so than ever really, if they truly value the chance to be kept on.

 

[Scott W.]

Nice overview of Busch Gardens! Thanks!

Disney will also let you stay on if no line, but the only ride this ever applies to is barnstormer which most on here are not going on. lol

We actually used a FP for the Barnstormer because we would be passing by just as it started. It's still a fun ride and for the majority of young kids, it will probably be their first coaster.

Considering the fact that employees at Wet n Wild are being offered relocation opportunities to Volcano Bay, you'd think they'd be a little more 'on point' whilst at work. Even more so than ever really, if they truly value the chance to be kept on.

That's a good point. They could be bummed out about the large gap in employment even if they're staying on.

 

[IzzyB]

We actually used a FP for the Barnstormer because we would be passing by just as it started. It's still a fun ride and for the majority of young kids, it will probably be their first coaster.

That's a good point. They could be bummed out about the large gap in employment even if they're staying on.

Yep, my older daughter it was her first coaster and I know many others that it is their first. So it is a huge hit for the younger crowd. However, once 8 PM hits it is a walk on and by 9 it is a ghost town back there. The young kids that ride it our doing parade, fireworks, and falling asleep. So for my night owl child it was always a perfect time to get 6 or so rides in before she was taller and able to ride more coasters. As long as there is no one waiting for the row you are sitting in they will let you go again if you ask.

I imagine most Wet n Wild workers are seasonal meaning they wouldn't be working the colder months since the park has limited operations and is closed some days in the winter months. So I can't imagine they are losing too much work and if they are starting softs in April, I would imagine paid training would start in March. So I agree they should not be slacking off. If I was their boss and saw that I would tell them there will not be a job waiting for them at Volcano Bay.