Yesterday we had a lovely lazy day at the villa with lots of swimming and lizard watching. The little creatures are entertainment themselves as they climb all over the netting and then chase one another through the grass. They do this very strange thing with their throats which bulge out and become red...no idea why. I'll have to look it up!
 |
| Not a great photo, but then they don't stay still for long! |
We went out at 4.30pm to Universal to see a film. On the way we had a few drops of rain and the sky looked really ominous. I've been hoping for a big, dramatic storm, but within minutes the rain had stopped, much to my disappointment. Universal looked a lot busier than last week when we arrived and we were directed to another car park, the one we usually use being full. We made it to the cineplex just in time to see Limitless starring Bradley Cooper and Robert de Niro. Armed with a HUGE box of popcorn and a drink we settled down in the lovely big comfy seats to see the film and all of us enjoyed it very much.
When we emerged into the dusky evening light after the film it looked as if the place was emptying. Islands of Adventure was open until 11pm because this week is officially the second busiest after Christmas. Did I say it looked as if the place was emptying? Ha! It was super busy in the park and this time there was a wait for the Harry Potter ride of 45 minutes. This rose to 75 minutes later on in the evening! However, Disney do not have the monopoly on magic in Florida. After dark, Islands of Adventure comes alive with gorgeous colours and lots of little lights in the trees. The Jurassic Park quarter looks positively sinister as dinosaurs peer at you through the darkness!
Mikey managed to persuade Sophie and me to go on Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, a circular boat ride that got you very wet. Keith, very sensibly, held our bags for us and on we went. The barges traverse rolling rapids and you're thrown about like mad and get extremely wet. I don't mean damp, I'm talking drenched to the skin, wringing out water from your clothes wet! The first time we went on there was just the three of us and a little boy who looked terrified. We didn't know what to expect and I nearly died when the thing started up a steep tramway...Not another steep drop, please!!! Luckily there was no steep drop, just a gradual descent into boiling rapids and more drenching!
When we staggered off, looking like drowned rats (hence the name, I suppose!) Mikey wanted to go on again. And like an idiot I'd enjoyed it so much I went on with him, figuring that I couldn't get any wetter! This time our barge was full and the other people with us hadn't been on before so it was great seeing their reactions and hearing them scream when they got wet!
Of course, for the rest of the evening we had to walk around in very wet clothes which did gradually dry out a bit in the warmth of the evening!
We passed on Harry Potter as the wait was just too long and we'd already ridden it twice, but Sophie and Mike did manage a ride on Flight of the Hippogriff again, this time in the dark, which was fun. I was determined to have a glass of Butter Beer which turned out to be sweet and very creamy and not alcoholic at all! Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts Castle looked beautiful in the dark, all lit up and very atmospheric. The sky still looked a little stormy and with the roofs covered in snow, it really did look like a cold winter's day.
On the way out of the park we were distracted by a sign for a magic show which was extremely good. The magician entertained us with playing cards and spongy balls and even took a dollar note off Keith and levitated it for him. Very impressive, and wonderful that it was completely free, although he did try and sell a range of DVDS which showed you how to do the tricks.
By the time we got back to Citywalk it was nearly 10pm and the place was heaving with crowds and crowds of people and music blaring out from the various clubs and restaurants. We chose Bubba Gump again but this time none of us had any shrimp, Keith choosing the fish and chips while I went for Mama's southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. The children went for cheeseburger and a chicken sandwich and still had room left for dessert! I'm just glad none of us are vegetarians as there is very little on the menu for non-meat eaters, just the odd salad that hasn't been blessed with chicken or seafood. Our waitress was very good and came and quizzed us on the film. Amazingly we were able to answer most of the questions!
We left Universal at just after 11pm and joined the mass of other people heading to the car parks. The journey home was a slow one as there were roadworks on the I-4 and we were held up for about twenty minutes in a traffic jam, so it was past midnight when we got back. Just time for a quiet glass of wine by the pool and then bed!
No comments:
Post a Comment