Walt Disney World vs. Universal Orlando Resort- Our First Evening: Dockside Resort Beats All-Stars and Pop Century

After this trip to Central Florida, Universal Orlando Resort will always be a part of our vacation to the region. It now joins Walt Disney World as the must-do location. One Disney park may be cut due to time restraints (perhaps one Universal park as well), but times have changed. Disney now longer rules the roost without competition.

Universal Express from the Orlando airport to the resort was fast, the bus very clean, and the arrival times were about every 15 minutes. What more could you ask for? A great hotel. And we stayed there.

A nighttime shot from the bus station.

Universal's Dockside Resort was the choice for our entire Florida vacation. You heard that right- not Disney. Sure, we visited a couple of Walt Disney World resorts, but here at their main competitor, we couldn't resist the fresh modern look, very large and bright rooms, and equally great bus service to City Walk and the parks. It worked for us!

Oh yeah, the price. Way below what we would have paid at Disney for an All Star Sports or Pop Century room. In-lobby Starbucks, lounge, brand new food court, and huge pools. The place had everything but the oversized icons, faded paint, and dreaded Motel 6 feel. 

Check In was fast- less than a ten minute wait- and we were upgraded to a private bedroom and a room with two Queen beds, a dining table, and a refrigerator at no extra charge.

We took an Uber to Disney Springs. Very inexpensive.

Dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant (a new tradition with our son) would be the star of the evening, but we had three stops for smaller treats to start off our vacation in just the right mood.

Gideon's Bakehouse offered up a huge and delicious Peanut Butter cookie in a ghoulishly clever setting. Next up were an order of ribs at Morimoto Asia, which are some of the best on the property. Or maybe the best anywhere. Yes, they are that good.

Lastly, there was a stop at Coca-Cola, where we sampled flavors from around the world. Although it was not free as in Epcot's Club Cool, the flavors were much better than the ones currently offered at the theme park.

Much like we would do everywhere we went, we shared these treats among the three of us. It was good practice for when we took in the booths at Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival later in the week.

Beautiful in the evening!

That was not our practice when it came to dinner at Raglan Road, appetizer and adult beverages aside. After walking for several hours and checking out everything we hadn't seen before at Disney Springs, we were ready for a drink and appetizers. 

For all our family.

This isn't a joke, but it is a very sweet reminder

of a beloved family member and a story she shared.

Checking in at the podium, it was a short wait for our table, which ended up being the exact one we had at our last trip. That was kind of fun- but we had time for some shopping in the pub's attached store. We purchased nothing, but our son found a "challenge coin" to give to his brother in law, the new fire chief.

Sláinte!

While this post is not a "Dine or Ditch" article (a series on the blog about restaurants and their food/atmosphere/value), I want to mention that dinner at the pub was certainly a strong contender for our favorite vacation meal. Even compared to our previous trip with him.

The entertainment was top notch, and our server was excellent. The fun, festive atmosphere was the perfect way to begin a much needed family vacation. Lively, but not over the top. We enjoyed every minute we spent at Raglan.

"Pull the Boxty".

We considered other appetizers we hadn't tried previously,

but this was just too good to pass up.

After a great meal and a relaxed time together, we did a bit more strolling under the evening's balmy Florida skies, and then we returned to Universal's Dockside for the night. We'd begin the next day at Islands of Adventure. My third visit to this park made me look at it in a whole new light.

More to come!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Wreck It Ralph to Replace Buzz Lightyear!

Refreshing Disney attractions and reusing current spaces versus mostly building new ones means constant changes. But will the pending removal of a Buzz Lightyear attraction create a stir and disgruntled guests to the castle parks? Who knows. But Tokyo Disneyland is taking out Buzz and replacing him with a new shooter attraction based on the fun film Wreck It Ralph. Nice concept art, by the way. Maybe the other parks like Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will follow suit. He's already gone in Hong Disneyland. Oh, those Imagineers! What will they do next. D23 cannot come fast enough!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company)

Hail to the Chief

So proud of my son-in-law! This evening, he was sworn in as the new Fire Chief in his district. Not only is he a wonderful leader, he's a kind and compassionate husband and father and follower of Jesus. His team of dedicated men and women are blessed to have a leader of his kind!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Not Your Ordinary Disney Trip Report

It's not too often I get to visit a Disney park with someone outside my family in Denver. But here's a photo of me and my mom from our visit last year. What does it look like when an 81 year old woman goes to Disneyland after 35 years? Read it here for a surprising trip report.

(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

A Trip Down Harry Potter's Knockturn Alley

A taste of the dark side. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Diagon Alley is an incredible space. It's "hidden attraction", Knockturn Alley is filled with creepy spaces, eerie noises, and surprises at every turn. It's not for everyone. In fact, parents should think about the potential impact on their littlest ones. It can be nightmare inducing. And evil is real, just as good is- so who knows what is going on "behind the scenes". But from a design detail standpoint, Knockturn Alley is an excellent example of how Universal Creative is beating Disney at their own game. Ot at least, tying the game. More on that later.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Otherworldly Disney Springs

What I really want to write about today I cannot. So instead, here's a pretty sweet nighttime photo of Disney Springs and the namesake water area. In the daytime, it's an absolutely lovely blue/teal color. When the sun goes down, it's almost otherworldly. Think Pandora / Avatar mode. In many ways, Disney Springs is almost like a fifth park. The combination of great places to dine and terrific watering holes of the adult kind combine with great shopping to make a perfectly fun and relaxing several hours slide by. It was just what Walt Disney World needed. A resort type atmosphere with a festive twist.  

A true trip report to come...

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Our Latest Trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort

Returned a few days ago from a trip to Central Florida. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort were both on our to do list. This was the first time we stayed at a Universal hotel for the entire trip. I'm looking forward to sharing photos and full blown day by day reports, but I haven't even finished our trip to Italy and France. Maybe I'll do this trip in smaller chunks. Lots to tell both good and bad. That said, I have over 2,100 photos that will make for some great "Design Detail" posts in the future!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Walt Disney World: It's A LOT of Work to Have Fun! Universal? Not at All!

Want to ride the newest attractions at Walt Disney World? Get ready to work hard. Disney has made it a major pain- and we had it so much easier at the days we went to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. In fact, I was so frustrated by the experience, if I planned a similar trip for next month (or year), I'd eliminate one Disney park completely. Take a look at our successful Virtual Queue for Epcot's hot new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Notice the time. Notice the boarding group number. Notice the estimated wait. Was it worth just buying a Lightning Lane?  All this amounts to a cash grab, friends. Pure and simple greed. Stay tuned for the trip report.

 

So Much I Could Say

A very fun and very special visit from a great friend! It's so rare that this happens. And in this case, all I can say about it is that this was something God put together. You'd have to be there to know what I mean. But I can say with assuredness that this time changed the course of my life. And I'm so thankful!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Design Detail: Tokyo Disneysea's Sindbad's Storybook Voyage

In the world of Imagineering, Tokyo Disneysea is certainly a standout when it comes to design detail. Everything from the landscapes to the pathways and structures oozes thoughtful creativity in order to provide guests with the most immersive experience.

Sometimes the design details are not in the smallest, least noticed aspects of the park. They may be in the things unnoticed or unrealized, those items we take for granted.
 

Attraction posters just because.

Look at the photo above from the very enjoyable "8 Bit Theme Park" site. Look closely. This particular design detail is large, very large. In fact, It's Mount Prometheus. The centerpiece volcano of the park is perfectly placed between the two colorful domes found in the Arabian Coast section. I guess I should say the placement of the domes is carefully designed to offer an incredible view of Mount Prometheus smack in the center. 

Attraction posters once more. 

The land itself seems very overlooked, although that could change with the opening of Fantasy Springs because guests will have to travel through it in order to get into the newest section of the park. If they can even get in. Those in charge of Disney's second park in Japan have made it very difficult to do so. They are moving to a caste system of guests. It's a very sad business move and quite elitist.

Sinbad's Seven Voyages or Sindbad's Storybook Voyage- which do you prefer? The original and darker seven voyages had vibes of Pirates of the Caribbean in its approach. The new version is more playful and kid friendly. Both beautiful and engaging in its own way.

As we leave the Arabian Coast, I give you this beautiful photograph from Tokyo Cheapo. Enjoy it in a very large size.

Goodbye Test Track 2.0, Hello Test Track 3.0!

Epcot's Test Track is transforming again! Get ready for bits and pieces of the classic Future World attraction World of Motion to be gracefully Imagineered into version 3.0! Am I excited? You bet! Test Track 1.0 was brilliant, but 2.0 not so much. 

This first piece of concept art had already been revealed, giving just a glimpse of what is coming. But wait! There's more.

Here's the new art for the entrance (Top piece.) Do you love the clean lines and classic look? I do too. Like much of the ongoing transformation of Epcot, the best ideas seem to come from what was there before. Take a look at what World of Motion looked like when EPCOT Center opened:

It's Fun to Be Free, the theme song of World of Motion, would be the icing on the cake if it were to return to the ride. Even the queue. 

We won't see this one.

Did you know there's a tribute to World of Motion

in It's A Small World in Disneyland Paris?

I bet there's one thing we won't see. Original scenes full of Audio-Animatronics. But even a few would be nice. 

Why didn't the Epcot of latter years keep our interest? We are the reason Epcot had to change. Check out my detailed theory here.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Attraction Poster Revealed

While I give the Imagineering team points for matching the style of the new attraction poster to the colors of the salt dame and buildings at its base, I really miss the old style detail of the ones done in the past. The one for Tiana's Bayou Adventure doesn't have the sharp, simple, but highly stylized look of the Disneyland posters. But it also doesn't have the lush detail of the newer Jungle Cruise ones either. This one is too cartoonish and rather forgettable. The first attraction based on Princess and the Frog deserves better. I hope the ride is better than the poster!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Through the Years

Time goes quickly! Our sweet little family in 1992 during an extended trip to Florida including a stop in Miami to see some relatives. Like any family, we've had our share of great trails and wonderful joys. Through it all, the goodness of God has shined through everything else. Sometimes, I just have to wait a little longer than I want to in order to see His hand at work. Thank God- literally- that my wonderful wife has not given up on her "cup half empty" husband!

The Beautiful Waters

Ah, the beautiful blue waters of Sorrento, Italy! I've been thinking and daydreaming of our Italian vacation. And then I realized I never finished up my trip report. Will I ever get to it? I guess at some point I will! But now I have a new job, and things are busier than they've been in awhile. That's a good thing!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)