Just got back from our Orlando trip to Universal and Islands of Adventure and have many stories and adventures to share with you. Thought it would be easier to just do a top 10 list of the things we enjoyed (there were certainly more than 10) and I will post a gallery this week of our pictures. By the way, November is a great time to go to the theme parks. We did not wait in line over 10 minutes for any ride. Fear Factor and Earthquake (rennovating for a new show) were closed so will have to catch them next time.
Top 10 (not in any particular order)
1. Rode go-carts for 4 hours at Fun Spot on International Drive. This has become a tradition and even Mom & Dad participate in this one. This place has 4 tracks to show-off your driving skills. You actually drive the cars over the hills and the hair-pin turns, not for the weak at heart!
2. Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast - board your rocket and hang-on for a chase with all your favorite nickelodeon friends. Total family fun!
3. Revenge of the Mummy - we are a coaster family (well, 4 out of the 5 of us) and this one offers a fun ride (no flips) with some scary characters and amazing special effects thrown in. If you have seen the movie, you understand the effects a whole lot more.
4. Terminator 2 - 3D - This show has it all...live action stunts, huge terminator robots and guns (big hit with my boys), and a 3-D movie that has you ducking for cover. Really great show.
5. The Incredible Hulk Coaster - if you are a coaster fan, hold on because this one will become your all time favorite. I only ride steel coasters, particularly the inverted ones and this ride is the best I have ever been on...and I have ridden many. Even my son David, our newest coaster recruit, rode this over and over. What a thriller! BTW, I do not put my hands in the air (unlike the rest of the family), I scream with JOY and hold on tight.
6. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - ok, this ride is the ultimate 3-d show anywhere (I was told it is the most popular in the country). Spiderman jumps on your car and saves you from many villians as you fall from the top of a building (well, not really). I have never seen better 3-d and special effects - EVER! Truly AMAZING!
7. Blue Man Group - This show is different than I have ever seen, and the kids LOVED it! We all did. It is a combination of silly comedy, musical instruments and those drums of jumping paint colors (you have seen those in the previews). Well worth the price but you better buy tickets ahead because it is a sold-out show.
8. NASCAR - Even if you are not a Nascar fan (deep down inside you know you are, you just don't want to admit it), drive to Daytona (only 1 hour from Orland0) to the raceway. Even if no race is on, you can take the tour and drive on the speedway. Very cool. You can get your picture made on Victory Lane, too. Be sure to go inside for the remainder of the tour and ride the simulators. May be the closest you ever get to going 190 mph.
9. Enjoying the Florida weather - even though the temp did not get out of the 70s while we were there (cold front came through), the kids loved swimming in the resort 'heated' pools. We are Marriott owners and stay at their timeshares, this time Horizons. Two huge pools with slides and a Pirate ship to climb on and slide down in the pool. What could be more fun! My kids also love to play billiards, ping-pong, basketball and mini-golf - also on-site.
10. BIG BOOM ! - The space shuttle landed while we were there. Couldn't get to Cape Canaveral but we did hear the sonic boom in Daytona as it came in for a landing. That was a total thrill for all of us. It sounded like 2 cannons going off and something you just have to experience. Next time, maybe we can get there for a shuttle launch.
Ok, that does it. There were certainly more other adventures and I could go on forever. This was the best family vacation we have had which I think is due to the age of our kids - 10 and 12. Old enough to be independent and but still want to hang with Mom & Dad. Teenage years are coming...