I have to start today’s post with an apology! Mrs. Modernlifeisgood “does not do upside-down rides!” and therefore will not be producing a review of Jurassic World VelociCoaster. I’m not sure where the misunderstanding came from. While it is a pity, it didn’t stop us from exploring Universal Studios today.
Due to yesterday’s travel, we inevitably woke early this morning and managed to get to Universal Studios before the park’s official opening. Guests staying at a Universal Resort are allowed to enter 1 hour earlier than off-site guests, and currently, early entry is running at both parks. Armed with our Express Passes, we progressed rapidly through the majority of attractions at Universal Studios. It was great to be back in the park after several failed attempts at visiting over the last two years.
Big Thumbs Up! to The Bourne Stuntacular which opened after our last visit. The show is spectacular and has to be seen to be believed. This review does come from Mrs. Modernlifeisgood; due to the surprisingly comfortable theater, I dozed off several times during the show, getting woken by explosions and gunfire. However, what I did see appeared very impressive.
The parks appear to be back to operating normally. Apart from some guests and staff wearing face coverings and the odd hand sanitizer located at ride exits, there is little to see of the restrictions that have previously been in place.
Universal seems to have got sentimental recently; in the past, I have commented that Universal shows little sentiment for classic rides. However, merchandise stores are now full of items relating to former attractions, including Jaws, Back to the Future, Twister, and others. In addition, Universal has opened its summer Tribute Store, further celebrating the classics Jaws, Back to the Future, and E.T.
E.T. Adventure is the only remaining ride from when the park opened in 1990, although a few stage shows are also remaining. The movie E.T. is 40 years old this year, and Universal has plenty of merchandise celebrating this milestone. Although the California version of E.T. closed in 2003, it does appear that Universal’s new sentiment towards classic attractions means this version is going nowhere.
We had an early dinner at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food in CityWalk. The food was plentiful, and the service was excellent. Overall what we had was very tasty. However, like all theme parks, the meal wasn’t cheap, but cheaper than it will be at Disney next week.
We returned to Portofino Bay early evening for a few drinks in the club lounge before having an evening swim. The pool at Portofino Bay is nice but, in my opinion, isn’t as good as the one at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Our first full day is complete, and we are still adjusting to the Orlando heat. Time for another early night before we tackle Islands of Adventure in the morning. As a reminder, this will definitely not include Mrs. Modernlifeisgood’s review of Jurassic World VelociCoaster!
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