alfie
13-06-2004, 22:36
Just got back and over the jet lagg!! What a holiday we had!! Highs and some very strange lows.
Flight fine except an hour delay and felt Virgin staff on board a little mean! a family where late to departures and therefore could not be seated together, the cabin staff repeatedly made all the couples on board feel real bad by stating that as they were not prepared to be split up the family would have to get off the plane!! sorted in the end as a couple of couples did move.
nearly first off the plane and so straight through passport control AND bags waiting for us WOW. BUT second carousel when upstairs bags nearly last off but still from leaving the plane to Universal 40 minutes in total. Stayed 1st week in Universal royal pacific resort and cannot recommend it enough - sheer luxury, steel bands round the lagoon pool, fire dancers and eaters in the evening, Luaw nights, beautiful marble everywhere and the biggest bonus i will tell you about a little later on.........
Being Memorial weekend was very very busy but we had free passes for all universal attractions included with the room so headed out to IOA on the second day after getting up with my daughter at the normal 5.50am slot and seeing all the other non-time adjusted Brits wondering around the hotel grounds!! We strolled into City walk, approx 10mins gentle walk away through manicured grounds by the lakes. Came back to hussle the other members of our family and caught the boat (left every 5 minites from the jetty to City Walk) IOA and Studios absolutely heaving!! BUT delight oh delight, if we showed our room card (key) we went straight through the express que even on Shrek where they do not operate express passes by showing our card we had a seperate (tiny) que and got straight in. After a very hot and vip day at IOA we went to the Hard Rock Cafe in City walk. Horror upon Horror a massive que BUT oh delight showed our card again and straight to our table!! This was the same in both IOA and studios and as there was over an hour ques at most of the main rides all weekend We waited maximum of 5 minutes. Would definately stay there again just for those privaledges! After the holiday weekend hotel emptied out a bit but not the parks but ok for us with our room key :D
HIGHLIGHTS THAT WEEK:
VIP treatment throughout
Brilliant water volleyball all day in the pool with average 20 on each side (whoever wants to play plays) kids loved it!!
Margarittas in Margaritta VILLE
Sunsets at City Walk
Shrek (must be seen)
THE MUMMY RIDE real good fun if not a little scary (like the HULK but inside and in the dark)
Spiderman ride great as ever
LOWS THAT WEEK:
Pricey on site restaurants if no transport then you are stuck
Busy weekend so sunbeds went quick
Then the FUN began........second week had a virgin villa....wish i knew about this site before booking many moons ago. Well...they had not had rain for a few weeks and the rainy season began with a bang, the day we left Universal we had to head off to end of 192 to the 27 to the virgin villa offices. They skies opened lightning thunder, couldnot see the end of the car!! Kids in the back a tad quiet[V]. Then lightning hit the top of pole at the traffic lights and the kids me and my husband [msncry][msnscared][:0]. Then we somehow managed to go north instead of south and after seeing a funnel cloud forming which really sent the kids over the edge (later we heard there had been a tornado warning) 2 hours later managed to get there (should have been about 20 minites). Staff very helpfull and we stayed at Westridge, The Virgin Rep gave us the low down explaining that the villa was alarmed and told us the code to turn it off as we entered. Got to the villa looked lovely and in we went. Husband turned off the alarm all well and good and of course the kids ran straight to the pool. The most horendous screeching began. We went back to the alarm tried to turn it off nothing, back to the pool doors closing them, opening them, nothing. My husband tried to ring the management agents no answer!! Kids went back to the car as the noise was terri
Flight fine except an hour delay and felt Virgin staff on board a little mean! a family where late to departures and therefore could not be seated together, the cabin staff repeatedly made all the couples on board feel real bad by stating that as they were not prepared to be split up the family would have to get off the plane!! sorted in the end as a couple of couples did move.
nearly first off the plane and so straight through passport control AND bags waiting for us WOW. BUT second carousel when upstairs bags nearly last off but still from leaving the plane to Universal 40 minutes in total. Stayed 1st week in Universal royal pacific resort and cannot recommend it enough - sheer luxury, steel bands round the lagoon pool, fire dancers and eaters in the evening, Luaw nights, beautiful marble everywhere and the biggest bonus i will tell you about a little later on.........
Being Memorial weekend was very very busy but we had free passes for all universal attractions included with the room so headed out to IOA on the second day after getting up with my daughter at the normal 5.50am slot and seeing all the other non-time adjusted Brits wondering around the hotel grounds!! We strolled into City walk, approx 10mins gentle walk away through manicured grounds by the lakes. Came back to hussle the other members of our family and caught the boat (left every 5 minites from the jetty to City Walk) IOA and Studios absolutely heaving!! BUT delight oh delight, if we showed our room card (key) we went straight through the express que even on Shrek where they do not operate express passes by showing our card we had a seperate (tiny) que and got straight in. After a very hot and vip day at IOA we went to the Hard Rock Cafe in City walk. Horror upon Horror a massive que BUT oh delight showed our card again and straight to our table!! This was the same in both IOA and studios and as there was over an hour ques at most of the main rides all weekend We waited maximum of 5 minutes. Would definately stay there again just for those privaledges! After the holiday weekend hotel emptied out a bit but not the parks but ok for us with our room key :D
HIGHLIGHTS THAT WEEK:
VIP treatment throughout
Brilliant water volleyball all day in the pool with average 20 on each side (whoever wants to play plays) kids loved it!!
Margarittas in Margaritta VILLE
Sunsets at City Walk
Shrek (must be seen)
THE MUMMY RIDE real good fun if not a little scary (like the HULK but inside and in the dark)
Spiderman ride great as ever
LOWS THAT WEEK:
Pricey on site restaurants if no transport then you are stuck
Busy weekend so sunbeds went quick
Then the FUN began........second week had a virgin villa....wish i knew about this site before booking many moons ago. Well...they had not had rain for a few weeks and the rainy season began with a bang, the day we left Universal we had to head off to end of 192 to the 27 to the virgin villa offices. They skies opened lightning thunder, couldnot see the end of the car!! Kids in the back a tad quiet[V]. Then lightning hit the top of pole at the traffic lights and the kids me and my husband [msncry][msnscared][:0]. Then we somehow managed to go north instead of south and after seeing a funnel cloud forming which really sent the kids over the edge (later we heard there had been a tornado warning) 2 hours later managed to get there (should have been about 20 minites). Staff very helpfull and we stayed at Westridge, The Virgin Rep gave us the low down explaining that the villa was alarmed and told us the code to turn it off as we entered. Got to the villa looked lovely and in we went. Husband turned off the alarm all well and good and of course the kids ran straight to the pool. The most horendous screeching began. We went back to the alarm tried to turn it off nothing, back to the pool doors closing them, opening them, nothing. My husband tried to ring the management agents no answer!! Kids went back to the car as the noise was terri