By: Marcia Abramson
Ever growing this summer, the third on-site family friendly Loews hotel, the Royal Pacific resort will be ready for all the school weary children. On their return visit this year, my eight-year-old granddaughter Maris and I 1-year-old grandson Bradley were enthralled with the new AnimaI Planet Live! They just loved seeing the real-life Himalayan cat Jinx who was portrayed in the movie Meet the Parents. The trained primates, ducks, snakes, dogs and cats in addition to other video clips of shows from the Animal Planet cable network also added to their enjoyment, and I might say that grandma also enjoyed this presentation.
Men In Black Alien Attack, the attraction based on the blockbuster film, was also on their list of must-sees on that visit. I understand that Men In Black is the world's first life-size ride-through interactive video game experience and the first attraction where guests determine each ride's outcome by their Individual and collective abilities. Bradley was delighted with his results; Maris feels that she can do better the next time around.
The Islands of Adventure, Orlando's next generation theme park, is the creation of Academy Award winning producer/director Steven Spielberg and is nearing its third anniversary. No matter how many years have gone by since their first reading of Theodor Geisel's famous Dr. Seuss books, my grandkids loved Seuss Landing rides and the wacky behavior of the Cat in the Hat, the Caro-Seuss-el and the whirl on the watery One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish spin. The Toon Lagoon brings to life Popeye the Sailor on a wild, whitewater rafting trip in the ride Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges, in addition to the Canadian Mountie who always gets his man in the hair-raising fume drop, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. On Marvel Super Hero Island, the kids got to experience unbelievable technology with moving vehicles, 3-D film, live-action and special effects of the ever-popular Spider-Man and his battle with super villains. I am told that this is the world's most innovative ride. There is also the Incredible Hulk Coaster, a G-force rollercoaster. And then there is no Spielberg production without the Jurassic Park prehistoric living breathing dinosaurs on the Jurassic Park River Adventure.
I thought I had enough for one day, but the grandkids would not leave without visiting the Lost Continent, the land once believed to exist only in the miss of time, a land where myths and legends are deemed to come to life. They could not wait to enter the dragon infested forest and board the Dueling Dragons duel rollercoaster. Poseidon's Fury: Escape From the Lost City, a scary epic battle with mythical gods did not cause these happy children to bat an eye lash
Wet and Wild, a wonderful water park just across the interstate from the park, is one of the cool reprieves from what can be a hot, hot Florida day. There are also many other water parks on the property.
Another great program at Universal Orlando's two theme parks is the Universal Express program which enabled my family and anyone who comes through the gates of Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure to have quick, easy access to virtually all the destination's most popular rides and attractions. Universal Orlando attendants are at kiosks placed through both parks and can help guest select windows of time to visit their favorite attractions or rides. Guests are given a printed card with those times assured of wait time of no longer than 15 minutes.
I must say that it was wonderful to see how much the whole family (who are amusement park mavens) were ready for an encore visit, particularly at the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man which they proclaimed to be the best ride they had ever experienced.
However, grandma was more than ready to explore the CityWalk entertainment complex, dine leisurely at either Emeril's Restaurant Orlando, featuring the famous award-winning chef and star of the TV Food Network program, Emeril Live for New Orleans Creole-based cuisine or Pastamore for authentic Italian cuisine a la care or family style in an open-air marketplace cafe. And then on to the Portofino Bay Hotel, the first on-site Loews Hotel which will end my day with my past wonderful memories of the Italian Riviera.
For more information you may visit: www.universalorlando.com
