Universal Studios

Awake at 4 - my usual problem when we fly to the states - not just awake but wide awake. Laying quietly in bed - should probably get up - and go into the main room and read or something but I don't want to wake up Anita.

Appears that I am not the only one awake as Anita gets up at 6 O'clock - telling me to roll over and go back to sleep. She has been awake a long time too. I try again but no joy - so quietly turn on the tv and watch some sport. Wait till 7 and go in and see Anita - see if we are ready for our meeting at 8. I run the deep bath and climb in as it fills - only the phone rings at 7.15 - yes it is the timeshare company ensuring that we are awake and almost ready....

Phone also manages to wake Stef (quite amazing in itself!)- who gets up slowly - and Lauren - who wakes up - looks around and then falls back asleep.

Go down to the reception area of the resort and then up to the third floor - to a large open plan area - with loads of pictures of blue-green resorts - and are asked to take a seat.

Guy comes over to chat with us - suggests we go and grab something to eat or drink and return to his table - he will be waiting for us! (I thought it might be a little ominous - but wasn't too sure.)

Low and behold when we return with orange in hand (Anita not impressed cos its got bits!) and he tells us this "meeting" will only last an hour.... I started to get a touch more worried - and rightly so. The spiel is good - he is trying to explain various things - but it is very hard sell. We can do.... and how about.....He leaves for us to think it over - and we agree no. Returns and gets the answer he doesn't want to hear - so goes and gets the big guns one of the higher bosses comes over - to try and finalise the deal...... "gives" us even more - and leaves us again to rethink our decision. Again when matey number one returns its no - so he offers us even more. Can't he realise that he has no chance......... even offers us free membership of the yacht club - where we can hire the boat - sorry - yacht for $3000 a week - and he is giving us this for free!

Once again the answer is no - and finally he takes the hint. He looks a little peeved that he didn't make the sale - but hey that’s life. Agrees to fill out the form so that we can get our tickets at the cheaper price - and takes us halfway down stairs - before saying goodbye and heading back up. We go to the reception area and the girl fills out the tickets and asks if we would like her to book the actual date. We tell her yes - and that we'd like to go on Wednesday. While we were standing there as she placed the reservation, a little queue builds up behind us - and its funny cos the reps are with these people. Perhaps they signed on the dotted line.......

Back to the room, to get the kids ready, but they are all up, washed and ready. Andrew says that he was expecting us back a lot earlier - so we tell him about the hard sell. He looks a little sorry for us!

Quickly we are out - and drive up I- Drive and enter the Universal parking area, and get directed to the ET parking lot. We park up - and begin the journey into the park. Through the security checking - where every bag is looked at – for some of us its a good look - but in most cases just a cursory glance. Into City Walk, and around the corner and we see the Universal globe spinning in front of the park. We are stopped and have our photograph taken there by one of the park photographers. We can view and buy them (if we like them!) in the park. We have to go to customer services to collect our pre-booked tickets - and there is a long line awaiting us. Once we have our tickets we can enter the park properly - another queue - but quite quickly we are in. Grab a couple of the park maps - and we have to decide where to go first. Well decide is not really the word I'm looking for cos there is a ride - it used to be the Hanna-Barbera ride featuring the Flinstones and the Jetsons - its now Jimmy Neutron - but one of the stars of it is SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.

Now as I mentioned earlier Stef is a big fan – but the fact that he is involved in a ride makes this an absolute definite on the list of things to do. I think this is why we chose to do Universal first. The ride itself is cute – it is a simulator – and also quite violent. Everyone is laughing especially when towards the end of the ride we are forced to do the "birdie song". Stef’s face is an absolute picture, especially when Spongebob appears as even over the loud music and talking we can hear "bob, bob, bob, bob etc". The ride finishes far too quickly, and we are out into a shop – where you can have your picture taken with Spongebob – well someone dressed as the character. OK sorry if I spoilt that for you, but yes it is not the real person! Stef wants her picture taken with Bob, Andrew chickens out so its Stef and Lauren who join the queue, with mostly little kids I might add! The picture is bought (surprise surprise) – and then it takes us a good few minutes (possible even half an hour) to leave the shop which is filled with Bob stuff.

As we leave the shop we see that the waiting time for Shrek 4-D is quite small so we join the queue. The show is really funny – but when a large spider appears Stef nearly has a heart-attack. She is ever so scared of them! As we leave the theatre we realise just how hot it has become. It is boiling!

Further on and we enter Twister, which we have always loved! Stef looks on in awe. Never having been in anything like this she is amazed – and laughs loudly when the cow flies across the stage!

Out in to the heat again and we get to Revenge of the Mummy – which is a roller-coaster ride. I had volunteered to stay outside while the four went in and rode it (someone needs to look after the bags!) – and off they go. Less than two minutes later Stef comes running out she has read the signs advising that certain people should not ride – and has panicked. The signs are there to cover the park – but she will not go on it now. So Andy goes back – and not for the last time on this holiday Anita, Andy and Lauren ride a roller-coaster.

We continue around the park – enjoying Earthquake, and Jaws (Stef didn’t look too keen to go on this one – but did in the end!) We look at the queue for Men In Black – but it is over an hour. Walk around and shock horror – the Back to the Future ride is no more! ? It is being replaced by a Simpsons ride. In the space of a couple of years they have replaced two of the best rides in the park – King Kong and now Back to the Future. The hoarding around where BTTF was is decorated with Simpsons cartoons – so we take loads of pictures of Andy and Stef acting, and interacting with the characters:

Oh and one of my favourites:

We go on the ET ride which is very quaint, and as before very good – but again this is a ride that is beginning to show its age. When we get out – via the usual shop everyone decides that the heat has taken a lot out of us – and we are all tired, so its one more trip on Jimmy Neutron and then we will return home.

As we queue ready to get into Jimmy – we see a really strange thing – there is a squirrel around the queue. Not just any squirrel – but one that thinks he was in the SAS. He is lying on his tummy and crawling, then gets up and runs a couple of paces – then drops back down again and crawls. It is really funny watching him. Andy gets close and takes a few photos of the commando squirrel!

We need to go and view the photograph that was taken earlier in the day – so find the right place – and because it’s the first one this holiday we have had taken we buy it:

Andy and Anita look good – not sure about the rest of us – lol.

We decide that we should go back to the hotel – have a swim – and order some pizza, rather than try and find somewhere to eat. So we go back – and the kids are really quick in getting down to the pool. Anita and I follow a little while after. While Anita goes for a "refreshment" break – Lauren asks if she can buy some goggles as the water is very chlorine. She buys them, and when Anita returns they come back with another few toys – a lilo, some weights and a blow up large Shamu! (Which fortunately comes already inflated – will take forever to fill it, by hand – or should that be mouth!) I know we are going to be taking him home – (so can’t wait for the first time we are at Pool and Track and can use him – just hope someone has got a lot of wind that day – no Andy – not that kind of wind!). We swim for a while (I even get my feet wet!) and then return to the room, for quick showers.

We order the pizza – and Dominoes deliver in under half an hour! All the pizza is eaten – and shortly after Stef decides that bed is required, so heads off. Lauren follows shortly after, while Andy attempts to work on an itinery. Soon we are all yawning so all follow the girls and retire to our respective beds for the night.