The Tribe has Spoken!! Carnival Celebration - 1/14/2024 (with pics)

[#55worktoplay]

21 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Thanks! You need to get back there. A lot has changed in the last ten years. With her bad feet, she doesn't even want to know how many steps she takes! 

I will be there next February.

[Jamman54]

Post Cruise  -  (January 23rd)  -  Our day at Universal’s City Walk. 

 

We were up at 7am to a partly sunny, warmer day. The temperature is going to reach the mid 70’s later, so we’ll be wearing our shorts again! After putzing around for a while, we made our way to the Fountain View Café for the breakfast buffet….

 

 

Around 10am we hopped in the car to head to Universal. It’s really only a ten minute drive from the hotel. We are soon passing Universal’s Endless Summer Resort. They built it where Wet n Wild used to be. IYKYK…..

 

 

We have reached Universal Orlando….

 

 

We follow the signs to the parking deck. It’s $30 to park. There is a special lane for handicapped parking which leads you right by the entrance…..

 

 

Here is where we parked. Being old people we always take a picture of where we parked so we can find our way back. Lol…..

 

 

Once again you have to go through security, metal detector and bag check. After that you can walk or use the moving sidewalk to get over the bridge, and to the entrance of City Walk. Here are some views from the moving sidewalk…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am!

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

We have made it to Universal and to the City Walk…..

 

 

 

 

While it is early, Patti wants to head over to the Water Shuttles and take a ride over to the Sapphire Falls Resort to check it out. I’ve never been there so I follow her to the Water Shuttles. Each Water Shuttle goes back and forth to a specific Hotel and Resort. There are signs and lines for each one. This is the Water Shuttle to the Sapphire Falls Resort…..

 

 

Patti got these views from our Water Shuttle as we head to the Sapphire Falls Resort…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

The Grill & Brew is going to be my Husband Daycare later….

 

 

Going under the bridge we pass another Water Shuttle…..

 

 

We are now passing the Royal Pacific Hotel & Resort. This is our go to place when staying here on site…..

 

 

 

We are approaching the Sapphire Falls Resort…..

 

 

 

 

 

We enter into the lower level. Their Breakfast Buffet is down here…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued….

[Jamman54]

You can take an elevator or walk these stairs up to the Lobby Level…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is where you end up if you take the stairs….

 

 

This is the Lobby Area of the Sapphire Falls Resort…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Here on the Lobby Level you will find the Coffee Shop, Game Room, Fitness Center, and Lobby Bar…..

 

 

 

 

 

Looking down at the Pool Area….

 

 

They have some outside seating…..

 

 

Looking down at the Falls, and the Water Shuttle dock…..

 

 

We head down to catch the next Water Shuttle back to City Walk. Here are some views on the way back…..

 

 

 

 

To be continued….

[LatinaInTexas]

On 2/17/2024 at 10:48 AM, Jamman54 said:

Patti is almost back to the Boathouse….

 

 

 

Patti has made it back. The first order of business is to get her a Malibu Bay Breeze….

 

 

We order our lunch. I’m having the lobster roll…..

 

 

Patti orders the Yacht Club, half of which she’ll bring back to the hotel…..

 

 

After we finished eating and had another drink, we make our way back to the car. As we were leaving we passed a group of Disney buses. Reminded us of when we would stay on site we used those buses to take us everywhere. Good times…..

 

 

 

Back on I-4, we were soon passing Sea World…..

 

 

We exit onto International Drive. We pass Icon Park and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. We’ll be checking out Icon Park on Thursday…..

 

 

 

We were back in our room at 4pm, and we were ready for a nap, especially Patti who did a lot of walking on aching feet! We stayed in the rest of the night relaxing, watching tv, and working on pictures.

 

Coming up next: Our day at Universal’s City Walk!

That place is so ahhhmazing! I now know without a doubt I must never, ever go there. I would want to buy one of everything🤑

[Hogladyrider]

@Jamman54...finally caught up.  We got home from our Hawaii cruise yesterday.  I came home with cruise crud...believe I caught it snorkeling in cold water but worth it for sure.

 

When you do your upcoming Hawaii cruise if you stop in Maui I would HIGHLY recommend the Kona Brewery tour.

 

We booked it direct online $25 pp....BEST informative tour ever and amazing brewery.  Hank our tour guide was so much fun.  They also have a restaurant.  What fascinated me was the sustainability they have built into this brewery!

 

We took Uber too and from the port to the brewery very easy and less than $10.

 

Enjoying your review as well as other Tribe members contributions.

[Jamman54]

4 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Jamman54...finally caught up.  We got home from our Hawaii cruise yesterday.  I came home with cruise crud...believe I caught it snorkeling in cold water but worth it for sure.

 

When you do your upcoming Hawaii cruise if you stop in Maui I would HIGHLY recommend the Kona Brewery tour.

 

We booked it direct online $25 pp....BEST informative tour ever and amazing brewery.  Hank our tour guide was so much fun.  They also have a restaurant.  What fascinated me was the sustainability they have built into this brewery!

 

We took Uber too and from the port to the brewery very easy and less than $10.

 

Enjoying your review as well as other Tribe members contributions.

Thanks Susan and welcome home! Thanks for the Hawaii info. We really haven't looked into what we are doing this time, but that is a great option for sure. Hope you recover quickly from the cruise crud. It took me about a week. 😎

[sid_9169]

Apparently the entire city of Orlando is a giant amusement park... I haven't been to Disney World since 1976, so it's changed a lot since then. Jeez, I'm old...

Edited February 18 by sid_9169

[AmyJA]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

Thanks Susan and welcome home! Thanks for the Hawaii info. We really haven't looked into what we are doing this time, but that is a great option for sure. Hope you recover quickly from the cruise crud. It took me about a week. 😎

Took me three weeks to get well. But it morphed into bronchitis.

[Jamman54]

30 minutes ago, AmyJA said:

Took me three weeks to get well. But it morphed into bronchitis.

That happened to me one time. Not good, and like you said,  three weeks. 😣

[atticusthegreat]

Y'all got me so stressed out about "cruise crud" we went and got booster shots today and are starting Airborne immunity gummies tomorrow! 😄 

[Jamman54]

4 minutes ago, atticusthegreat said:

Y'all got me so stressed out about "cruise crud" we went and got booster shots today and are starting Airborne immunity gummies tomorrow! 😄 

Can't hurt. 😁

[Frank12]

2 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

That happened to me one time. Not good, and like you said,  three weeks. 😣

Got the cruise crud on Liberty in December.  Tested negative for Covid, Flu and RSV. Cough and chest congestion lasted for 3 weeks!

[ZoeyVictoria]

16 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

 

Around 10am we hopped in the car to head to Universal. It’s really only a ten minute drive from the hotel. We are soon passing Universal’s Endless Summer Resort. They built it where Wet n Wild used to be. IYKYK…..

 

 

 

I hate to see the end of Wet n Wild!  Many years ago I spent the day there with my late DH, wearing a strapless bathing suit for the first time. I tried a new water slide where I slid down head first on a flat mat, on a circular slide that went around and around the entire line of people waiting on stairs in the center of the structure. My DH waited at the bottom of the slide for me.  I was so nervous and terrified of what I was doing, then I finally got to the bottom, landing in a pool of water about 24” deep. I was so excited and pleased that I jumped up, threw my arms out to the side and yelled, “I did it!”  Then I simultaneously noticed the look on my DH’s face and felt a breeze in a place that had never been exposed to a breeze before. The top six inches or so of that strapless bathing suit had flipped down and was clinging to my rib cage 😳. I have no idea how far into the ride that had happened, nor how many people in line got a show that day 😂

[Jamman54]

56 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

18 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

 

Around 10am we hopped in the car to head to Universal. It’s really only a ten minute drive from the hotel. We are soon passing Universal’s Endless Summer Resort. They built it where Wet n Wild used to be. IYKYK…..

 

 

 

I hate to see the end of Wet n Wild!  Many years ago I spent the day there with my late DH, wearing a strapless bathing suit for the first time. I tried a new water slide where I slid down head first on a flat mat, on a circular slide that went around and around the entire line of people waiting on stairs in the center of the structure. My DH waited at the bottom of the slide for me.  I was so nervous and terrified of what I was doing, then I finally got to the bottom, landing in a pool of water about 24” deep. I was so excited and pleased that I jumped up, threw my arms out to the side and yelled, “I did it!”  Then I simultaneously noticed the look on my DH’s face and felt a breeze in a place that had never been exposed to a breeze before. The top six inches or so of that strapless bathing suit had flipped down and was clinging to my rib cage 😳. I have no idea how far into the ride that had happened, nor how many people in line got a show that day 😂

 

We loved Wet n Wild. Then at some point Universal bought it, so when Volcano Bay was built some years later, it was toast. 😒

[Jamman54]

We are back at City Walk. I am going to hang out at Grill & Brew, while Patti is going to get on another Water Shuttle to the Portofino Bay Resort. Patti knows exactly where to find me. Lol.  Patti is at the Shuttle landing waiting for the next Water Shuttle to the Portofino Bay Hotel…..

 

 

 

Patti is now on the Water Shuttle to the Portofino Bay Hotel. Where that tower is you’ll find the entrance to the Islands of Adventure theme park…..

 

 

 

Past the globe is the entrance to the Universal Studios theme park…..

 

 

They are sailing past the Hard Rock Hotel…..

 

 

 

They are approaching the Portofino Bay Hotel. They are doing some work on one of the buildings…..

 

 

 

 

Patti has found a duck, though she can’t take this one home…..

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Patti has landed at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Here are some views outside of the hotel…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patti heads inside the Portofino Bay Hotel…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

Patti is back on the Water Shuttle heading back to City Walk…..

 

 

 

Back on dry land, Patti takes a walk around the lagoon. Here is the entrance to Universal Studios…..

 

 

 

 

 

Patti is looking across the lagoon towards the Grill & Brew where I am, and at the Water Shuttle landing…..

 

 

 

Patti walks by the Hard Rock Café and the Chocolate Emporium…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

These are the ticket booths and entrance to the Islands of Adventure…..

 

 

 

Patti crosses over the bridge back to the City Walk side….

 

 

Here is Margaritaville and the Porch of Indecision…..

 

 

 

 

 

Right across the way is the Lone Palm Airport. I’ve used this as a Husband Daycare many times…..

 

 

 

There are a ton of shops, bars, and restaurants to explore…..

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

 

[Jamman54]

Patti passes by the Bob Marley Tribute…..

 

 

 

 

Here are some more shops, bars, and restaurants…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[#55worktoplay]

25 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Patti has landed at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Here are some views outside of the hotel…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patti heads inside the Portofino Bay Hotel…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

We stayed here last year and the bed was the most comfortable bed that I have ever slept in. I doubt I will ever stay there again, the price to stay there was wild!

[Jamman54]

4 minutes ago, #55worktoplay said:

We stayed here last year and the bed was the most comfortable bed that I have ever slept in. I doubt I will ever stay there again, the price to stay there was wild!

That's their highest priced resort. That's why we stay at the Royal Pacific. 

[#55worktoplay]

1 minute ago, Jamman54 said:

That's their highest priced resort. That's why we stay at the Royal Pacific. 

I will look that one up next time. I felt like royalty there but I don’t need that. It was very nice but it was stupid crazy to pay what I paid. Not to mention I have to pay extra per every US Dollar so even more expensive by I’m guessing it was in the 1.35 range at that time. Never again barring winning the lottery 😀

 

We stayed at another one I can’t remember the name but it was a budget one well that didn’t quite fit the bill so it sounds like Royal Pacific will suit.  Thanks