So many upcoming trips !!!!!!

The joys of planning and what I have been up to…..

I have been so busy planning lately and am excited about our next three vacation and the reviews I will be doing of them after. I wish I could speed up time and whisk my family away but unfortunately vacation will not pay the bills (a girl can dream )

This is my upcoming list all have been booked with deposits but can change if I find better deals or itineraries that excite me ! All of these trips are 6 months from each other that way they are not too close but also not so far, we have had a year since our last trip by the time we get on our Alaska cruise and that was just too long.

Alaska Celebrity Solstice

August 26,2016-August 3,2016: Cruise to Alaska aboard the Celebrity Solstice in a Celebrity Suite this trip will only be the 4 of us for 7 days. The suite comes with Lumiere dining (I can not wait to try this restaurant out) This cruise leaves from Seattle so there is no need for flight or hotel all of which I spent on the upgraded rooms. We have been wanting to try Celebrity for a while and I hope it lives up to our idea.

Ports:  2 Sea days

Seattle, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway, Victoria

MSC Divinia Caribbean Cruise

August 26, 2017-August 2, 2017- we are doing a 7 day girls cruise so excited there will only be four of us my daughter, myself, and my grandmother and while I have never tried MSC I am looking forward to this cruise and reviewing a new cruise line I just wish it was sooner! Decided on the Yacht Club Family Suite.

MSC Meraviglia Spain 

December 22nd,2017-Decmeber 29th,2017- We will be taking the 7 day cruise out of Barcelona on this trip will be four of us my husband son and grandmother. My daughter decided the 14 hour plane ride was to much for her and is staying home. 

I can not wait to bring all new reviews and update some of my past trips with new information, as they get closer I will be adding post about what I want to see and do aboard these ships.

The nitty gritty details about the Universal Studio Orlando VIP Tours

Holly's Universal VIP Tour Rating: 4 out of 5

Is it really expensive?

Yes this is an amazing experience there is no doubt about it but that experience is  going to cost you the tour is amazing but you need to be realistic of what you can afford make sure to fully look at the benefits compared to the cost. There are two types of tours at the Orlando Park the exclusive and the non-exclusive both are fun and you will see the park no matter what you chose we have not done the non-exclusive at Orlando we took it at Universal Hollywood and they are about the same. I have given the highlights and the cost below for each tour.

Not included in any tour

Admission to the parks is not included in any tour you will need to get this at the time you start the tour or before the cost is for the tour only. The tour dose not included a tip for the guide you will be responsible for tipping you guide. A general amount is $100-200 per day for the private tour and 50.00 or more for the non-private tour. The amount is not set in stone some people only do less some people do more, I think tipping is up to each person and the service they receive.

Main details of the non-exclusive VIP experience

The non-exclusive is one personal guide to 12 people in this group you will be put with other people who also pay for the service. Your guide will have a mostly pre-planned idea of what you will do, but will ask for your input be advised that if there are three of you in the 12 people group you may not be able to see all you want. This tour is 7 total hours in total this includes a one hour time out for lunch this tour dose not included lunch you are responsible for paying for your food.

There will only be 6 hours of actual hours of attraction time including at least eight major rides and shows these will be based on the group average. While your portion of the group may see some of what you want there is a chance you will not see it all because the others included in the group make up will want to see something as much as you want your choice be sure to let your guide know what your family’s number one attraction or show is so you can be sure to see it.

At the start of your tour you will get a complimentary continental breakfast this is juice coffee and pastries along will different cereals bagels and toast. This is a basic set up and a nice starter to the day. You can also take a bottle of water with you as you leave.

This tour is only for up to 6 people in your personal group any more than the 6 people and this includes children you will need to book the private tour for your group. Children cost the same as adults.

Keep in mind you will only get to do Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts™, Hogwarts or the train once. There is a chance you will not be able to do the train or the ride at all unlike the private tour this is not guaranteed and the decision to see these attractions are up to the guide alone and the amount of people in the park at the time of your tour. You also will not be able to use the expresses unlimited passes for these rides after your tour.

Unless you pick the two park option you will not be able to use the train to between the parks keep this in mind when booking your tour. There have been people who said they were able to take it without getting off but again that is up to the park the day of.

After your tour you will still get express access to all the rides this is like the other people in the park who bought the express pass option. After your tour you pass turns into a normal express pass including any disclaimers in the regular express pass be sure to check what is included and not included in the express pass before going to park so there are no bad surprises.

You will get reserved seating at the shows and parades this includes the Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories nighttime show. Be sure to check at the time of your tour about how you use this option after the tour as it can change at any time.

You get complementary standard valet parking on the day of your tour take advantage of this perk as there is long walk between regular parking and the tour office.

A VIP souvenir lanyard is also included to keep this is what your VIP pass is hooked to.

On the day of your tour you will get select discounts at full service dining and merchandise locations within the parks check with the VIP office the day of your tour so you know what places in the park are at the discount and what the discount is.

Pros

You get a knowable guide to take you to the must see attractions and answer any question you can think of.

This is a less expensive way to get a tour of the park.

The guide really dose try to let the group see what they want to see in the time allowed.

This is good for a group that is small and just wants to see the park and feel special for a day.

Cons

You will not be guaranteed to see everything you want to see.

Your only time option is 10am.

You will be with other people you do not know and they get just as much say as you do.

It is still a costly choice.

You will only get one chance at the most popular stuff like the new Harry Potter rides.

The options and price for the nonexclusive tour is:

One-day, one-park non-exclusive VIP tour of USF or IOA $299.00 per person not including tax Peak time $369.00 per person not including tax

One-day tour of both parks non-exclusive- $329.00 per person not including tax Peak time is $389.00 per person not including tax

Private VIP Tour Details

This tour is for up to five people each additional person is additional charge up to ten people in total.

You will have a guide for 8 hours with a one hour lunch so you will 7 total hours of park attraction time. The guide will take you to the front of every line ride and photo and to top it off put you in the best seats!!

You can do what you wants as much as you want there really is no limit to what you can do on this tour the choices are completely up to you want to spend the entire day doing nothing but Harry Potter rides go for it. You pick who you want photos with, what shows you want to see, and your guide will make it happen. Keep in mind you will have some rules and some areas you cannot take photos your guide will inform you of this as they come up.

This tour includes lunch at your choice of Lombard’s Seafood Grill, Finnegan’s Bar & Grill, Mythos, and The Confisco Grille. Tips are not included for the wait staff as part of your package  you can get one appetizer per two people, one entrée each, and one desert also you get a non-alcoholic drink. This hour is included in your 8 hour tour.

Your tour will start at 10am but you can change this time to what suites you as long as it is with in the park hours. To have the option to start later than 10am you will have to book and notify the tour office two weeks before your tour.

If you pick one park option you will not be able to go to the other park keep this in mind with the Harry Potter train that goes between parks.

VIP lanyard serves as an unlimited Express pass for the rest of the day. This pass like the other people in the park who bought the express pass option. After your tour you pass turns into a normal express pass including any disclaimers in the regular express pass be sure to check what is included and not included in the express pass before going to park so there are no bad surprises.

You get a discount on food and merchandise during your tour day this includes after the tour ends. Be sure to check what places and what the amount of the discount is the day of your tour.

Special seating at the shows and parades. You will want to check the day of about how you can use this option after your tour for something like the 100 years of movie show.

Everything in the non-exclusive package.

You also can get the photos of your day but be sure to check this is included beforehand there have been some people who said it was not included in their package .I did not know about the option when we did the tour and did not ask. I still cannot confirm this as an option so check the day of your tour. 

Special photo ops you cannot get anywhere such as down in MIB area you can get a photo with the aliens in the control room, or under the mummy ride this is a fun option to the normal photo ops. Also no waiting in line for the photos

Pros

All the rides you want

Special photo ops

Your own personal guide

Lunch included at the best places the park has to offer

Cons

This is a costly trip and may not be worth the cost to your family.

You may feel guilty about get the best seat every time some people may wonder why you get to go first or just walk up and I will not lie some people will say something and be rude but ultimately you paid a business for a service and there is no reason to feel bad about this.

Cost for Exclusive VIP Tour

One day one park for up to five people $2599.00 Peak time cost is $2899.00

One day two parks for up to five people $2899.00 Peak time $3199.00

Extra people up to 10 are $325.00-389 each depending on tour and peak or non-peak time.

To get an idea for 6 people for two parks on two days the cost is 5590.00 for the private tour. Not including tips to the guide and the wait staff for lunches so there will be about $300.00 more on top of that price.

KEEP IN MIND

Children are the same cost as adults and the one hour lunch is nonnegotiable. On our last trip I overheard someone trying to get out of taking  the one hour lunch time, this is against universal policy and for good reason  it is just plain wrong. Please keep in mind your guide is still an employee doing a job and deserves a break just like you get when you go to work. If you feel you should not have to pay for this then the tours are not really for you.

We love the tour and we will do them again when we go to the parks to us the cost is worth it. We usually have such little time to see what we want and standing in line for a long time is no longer easy on my grandmother this way we get to take our time and go at the pace that works for us and not miss anything. However if it was just two of us spending a day relaxing at the park and not a real family vacation we would just do the express pass and explore on our own. Be sure to really look at the cost this is not an option for many families and there are many other ways and tricks to see what you want to see that cost less.

Oh the Magic of Universal Orlando with the VIP Treatment

Private Universal Orlando Studio VIP Tour
Holly's Rating: 4 out of 5

Let me start with saying this was an amazing tour and blow our Disney tour out of the water, we had so much fun and unlike our Disney tour we will be willing to do this one again. We did the two day and two park option for nine people. While not a cheap way to see universal it was perfect when you have so many people who want to see different things and your grandmother and mother in law have mobility issues. Of the two tour option we decided on the private tour they also have a group one where you have a set points of interest to go to that was not something that worked with our group. Be sure to look at my details post about everything included in the tour.

We started our first day by meeting our guide at the VIP office his name was Shawn and he was a amazing guide who from the start wanted to know what we wanted to do, see, and eat. When I scheduled the tour they asked where I wanted to eat and the guide makes sure each day that that is still the plan we had picked Mythos for the first day and stuck with that after finalizing our lunch times and letting Shawn know what we wanted to see we headed off for a un-rushed day at the park. The guide will take you to all the place you want to see in the fasted way leaving you more time to enjoy things. Being a major attraction all of the group wanted to see we began at  the harry potter ride at this time they were still working on the new train and bank ride. As we walked the park our guide pointed out little things and told us information about the park it a perk to have someone be able to tell you everything you want to know about the park from when a ride will open to the best place to get some shade on a busy day.

Our first stop was the market area and the butter beer the kids had been dyeing to try and truth be told so was I this drink is a sugar shock for sure but not bad just realize you may not finish a whole one but it’s worth trying once it we tried the non-frozen option. In this area the workers are dressed like you are in a Harry Potter story the  robes and uniforms look so real everything in this area really dose  recreate a beloved fantasy world. We did not do the wand show this time and that is something I now wish we would have tried.

We looked at the sweet shop Honeyduckes just like in the books there were limitless options to choose from all the candies and treats you read about where there to buy just like you were in Hogsmead on a day trip. Filch's Emporium was a hit and there where so many fun things to choose from we did not buy anything since we still had such a long day to go and did not want to walk around with a bunch of stuff all day on a side note the guide will have your purchases heal for you. We also enjoyed Dervish and Bangers for unique harry potter items.

There are two harry potter rides the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey a fun and interactive 3D motion ride where you really feel like you are in the movie and helping the hero’s the fact that you feel like you are flying was so fun and the way the characters from the movies pop out seem so real that you feel you can reach out and touch them. There was a long, long, long line for this ride and part of that is looking thought the castle and the touches like the paintings just like the real Hogwarts with Shawn we were able to go in the back way and still see most of the castle best part is we were able to get right on the ride this was only an option with the private guide when we went and not the standard tour. We loved this ride and the fact that we could go on as much as we wanted was nice however we only did it once since some members of our party did not go on it and wanted to do other things.

The next ride was the  Dragon Challenge this is a high rolling roller coaster that was so fun if you like the fast and scary rides which luckily I love them my husband, myself, and my father in law braved the challenge while the rest of the party sat out. I loved the feel of this ride you really feel the force of it and you at times think you are going to go right off the track butin a way that is still fun I also thought this ride was easier on the neck that was a plus we also only did this once since most of our party was not interested in the ride. The last ride in the area was the Flight of the Hippogriff this ride was a slower pace roller coaster for the younger set I thought the ride was fun and my son enjoyed it but it was jerky and by the time I got off it my back and neck where not happy with me I did not go on it again my son gave it one more go but my back was not having it.

After the rides we walked to Mythos for our lunch as part of the package lunch is included you are able to get one appetizer per two people, one entree, and a dessert along with a alcohol free drink per person. I had been dying to try this place and it was so pretty we sat by the windows and really enjoyed the look and feel of the restaurant and being able to see the view of the park and the people was a fun way to relax. I had the shrimp cocktail that I shared with my daughter both of us enjoyed it they gave you jumbo shrimp I know a lot of places go with the small cheaper shrimp but these where huge for my main entree I got the Mythos Pad Thai and it was really good I will admit it was not as good as my local place but so far nothing has been that good. We had ice cream for dessert and it was yummy also. The rest of the party liked their lunch also and there were no complaints my son had burger , my daughter the Pad Thai , the husband had the Pan seared Mahi Mahi, and my grandmother the same my brother had the fish tacos all of them loved their food and would eat there again. I would like to add the tip for the wait staff is not included in the lunch so you will want to pay them that separately.

After lunch we headed to the Poseidon fury I did not go through this attraction I wanted to sit and people watch for a while but the rest of the party did and they enjoyed it a lot and I enjoyed my people watching. My complaint about this attract was there is no shaded area to sit around the attraction for the people who do not want to walk though. We loved all the ride in the park and it was fun we went on every ride. Besides the Harry Potter castle ride the best ride in the park was the transformers ride we have done this ride before at the Hollywood park and we love it this was one we did many times and each time was just as fun as the first.

The Dr.Seuss area was fun and imaginative it brought back memories of my childhood and learning to read with my papa I wish we would have explored more but some people in our party where not interested in exploring. This is an area I will do more of this our next time in the park. We did all the ride even the ones that where for smaller kids and we still had fun Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls will get you wet and we were lucky to got plastic ponchos to wear but we still got a little damp all the rides where like being in the books and universal really out did itself with the way they make the areas really feel like you are in a fantasy land exploring and causing trouble with thing one and thing two.Our next stop was to the Grinch show.

The Grinchmas was a cute retelling of how the Grinch stole Christmas Sheldon from the big bang was playing the Grinch when we were there and played it amazingly it was fun to see the stage show version that universal dose during it Christmas spectaculars. As part of the tour we got the best seats in the house its a nice break to sit in the air conditioned room and relax while we watched the show. If you are in the park during Christmas you will want to see this show it is something that we will remember for a long time it was just plain fun and brought back how you felt when you saw the movie or read the book as a kid for the first time. After the show we re-did some of our favorite rides and looked around the shops on the days of your tour you get 10% off your purchases.

I love the fast and scary rides so it was a point to do them all this was mostly my husband and I the rest of our group was not willing to go on them and they were happy to just relax and people watching while we did. I loved the Incredible Hulk Coaster and wanted to go again and again so much fun. The Jurassic Park River Adventure is like the one in Hollywood so I sat it out with my husband but the rest of the group enjoyed it my son wanted to keep going.

Our next day was much like the first only we did all the things we did not the day before we started going to the MIB ride so fun. Then to twister this is really an interesting idea since universal is all about the fact they do movies this was a fun way to learn about the twisters and how they are created int he movie, you feel like you are in one they even have fire that is hot we really enjoyed this attraction since we loved the movie. My son thought this was so cool and was a highlight of the trip for him.

 We did not do the fear factor live but we did go to the Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show it was fun to see how they do all the makeup effects in the movies and the waiting area was interesting with old movie props right from the horror movies we have all seen. The show adds some humor in with the learning so the kids stay entertained after this showI will not look at horror movies the same after seeing how they do the effects.

For our lunch we decided on Lombard’s Seafood Grille I had the Shrimp cocktail again and it was just as good as the one I had the day before, for my entree I did the fried shrimp (seeing a pattern here I love shrimp) this meal was well done and the shrimp tasted fresh and breading was perfect. All in all it was a good meal think red lobster quality. I usually do not expect much from theme park eateries but this place was good. In my party we had the clam chowder and the lobster bisque both where delicious. My husband has the fish and fries, my daughter the shrimp macaroni and cheese, and my son a burger again. My family enjoyed their meals there were no complaints. Between our group we tried almost the entire menu and nothing was said to be bad so this would be a safe place to eat if you have picky eaters like we do.

After lunch we headed to the Simpsons Springfield area to go on the ride we did not get to look around too much since other party members wanted to do other things but we still got a brief overview with Shawn.The ride is amazing we have done it at the Hollywood park before but it is still fun each time this outside of the transformers is my son favorite ride you really feel like you are in the action and the motions even though you do not really go anywhere you do not realize it and feel you are on a roller-coaster at krustyland.

 Later after the tour my husband and I came back  to look around. We really wanted to try a duff beer and a flaming Moe at Moe’s tavern and take some pictures around the area we really enjoyed it since we have been watching the show for 20 years. We loved to see the place we wanted to go since we where teenagers come to life.I am still kicking myself for not buying a pink doughnut and this will be done the next time we are at the park.

All in all the tour was worth it to us that said if we had planned we could have done all we wanted on our own but would have had some wait times this way it was quick and informative. Our guide was amazing and we will request him again when we go back for the next Harry Potter expansion. The food was good for a theme park and the verity in shops was nice and refreshing from Disney who has a lot of the same things in each shop. Hands down the Harry Potter areas is where Universal shined they really made you feel you were in the movie walking around Hogsmead and Hogwarts. We went during the week of Christmas so it was busy in the park another plus to the guide.

Just like any park there were a lot of people and strollers my biggest pet peeve is when people with  strollers and wheelchairs are rude with them and will run you over, bump into you to get you out of the way and a bunch of other things because they think they can get away with it and that drives me nuts. Also being on  a tour you are going to get some people who do not understand why you get to go in the front when they have been waiting for three hours, the fact is you are customer who paid a business for a service and you should not feel bad about that fact.

We stayed at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort this was a nice hotel there was a mix up and part of our group was put in a room in the other tower from the rest of us but we made due. On our last night my husband and I had a late dinner at the restaurant next to Jakes bar the food was good and we relaxed and talked about our days at the park. The room was a nice two bed room with a bathroom that has the toilet and shower in its own room and the sink and counter outside the door this was nice for people getting ready it’s so hard when you have four people and only one area to get ready in so this is always a plus to our family. We had connecting rooms with my grandmother and brother we always try to do this since we pack stuff in each other’s luggage a lot. My kids ordered room service and they said it was good and arrived fast they had burgers and fries and they came with cute little ketchup bottles that we took home they were so cute. We liked the hotel and enjoyed our stay and we will pick this hotel again we didn't get a chance to try the pool area as we were busy with the parks during the day but we did walk though it and it was a nice area that we hope to try our next visit.