Our next day was at Universal. Monday we did Island of Adventure. Tuesday was did the Studios. In comparison to our local parks, these parks were rather small! Two main roller coasters in each and one could view the end of the park from the beginning at Islands (it is in a circle formed around a lake). If I did not have a 5 year old with me, we could have not only kicked out this park but the Studios too in one day!
The main thing that I didn't like about this park was the stores. There was a lot of wasted space between attractions and a TON of stores. And not theme park stores. But stores for purses and stores for glasses and stores for shoes.............HELLO! I am on vacation! If I wanted to shop I would have hit one of the many malls around us! I found it rather disappointing! And each ride lead you into another store based on that ride. So if you didn't notice any stores walking to the ride, they made sure you noticed it ending the ride!
But we took our time, ignored the stores and walked around. One of the 1st attractions you come upon is the Spiderman ride. Now Delaney is not into superheros but I was told we would enjoy this ride and so we stood in the line for a fun 3D ride. That was our 1st mistake. And one we would pay for on the rest of the entire trip!
Spiderman was cool. To me. And to my teenagers. And to Todd. But NOT to Delaney. She did NOT appreciate some funky costumed looking creature coming at her. But what made it worse was 'the green man'. One of the villains on the ride. He jumped on the ride, he came at you, he laughed in your face. Of course, the older people knew this wasn't real and that spiderman would recuse us! But the 5 yr old was not having any of it! And with the end of this ride ended the hope for any future rides the rest of the entire trip. Even if it was meant for little kids. Even if it was Pooh or Cinderella. Even if it wasn't 3D. All she would ask is if the 'green man' was coming to get her. And if the ride was inside..........forget it. Done.
We spent the rest of the trip being 'one of those parents'. You know....the ones who stand in line with the screaming kid and everyone gives them looks because they are such horrible parents to put their screaming child on any rides or even consider the thought! I have a new outlook for 'those kinds of parents'. It is one full of pity and complete understanding. It was a hard lesson learned. Do NOT take your 5 year old to Universal!
So we divided and conquered. The older kids and one parent went off to fun attractions and one adult spent hours on end in kiddie playland. Where there were no green men to scare the crap out of you and only sunshine, open air and happy music that would drive anyone insane after listening to it for 3 hours straight!
But we took our time, ignored the stores and walked around. One of the 1st attractions you come upon is the Spiderman ride. Now Delaney is not into superheros but I was told we would enjoy this ride and so we stood in the line for a fun 3D ride. That was our 1st mistake. And one we would pay for on the rest of the entire trip!
Spiderman was cool. To me. And to my teenagers. And to Todd. But NOT to Delaney. She did NOT appreciate some funky costumed looking creature coming at her. But what made it worse was 'the green man'. One of the villains on the ride. He jumped on the ride, he came at you, he laughed in your face. Of course, the older people knew this wasn't real and that spiderman would recuse us! But the 5 yr old was not having any of it! And with the end of this ride ended the hope for any future rides the rest of the entire trip. Even if it was meant for little kids. Even if it was Pooh or Cinderella. Even if it wasn't 3D. All she would ask is if the 'green man' was coming to get her. And if the ride was inside..........forget it. Done.
We spent the rest of the trip being 'one of those parents'. You know....the ones who stand in line with the screaming kid and everyone gives them looks because they are such horrible parents to put their screaming child on any rides or even consider the thought! I have a new outlook for 'those kinds of parents'. It is one full of pity and complete understanding. It was a hard lesson learned. Do NOT take your 5 year old to Universal!
So we divided and conquered. The older kids and one parent went off to fun attractions and one adult spent hours on end in kiddie playland. Where there were no green men to scare the crap out of you and only sunshine, open air and happy music that would drive anyone insane after listening to it for 3 hours straight!
Here is an example of how one attraction went.....
I was lost in kiddie land at the Studios. Barney has a show there and so I took Delaney back there to see it. The start of the show is a small stage outside of the building where the parents and kids wait to go inside. Delaney is already freaking out and asking if the green man was there and that she wanted to go. I am telling her over and over, loudly mind you, over her tears, that it is BARNEY. Barney! FREAKIN BARNEY! Barney is happy, happy, happy!!! But she was getting more nervous as we waited.
At one point she jumps in my lap and tells me the stage is moving. I look and notice a panicked squirrel up on the mini stage. He is more scared of the kids as he is trying to figure out how to get off that stage without all those little kids jumping on him. But Delaney is freaking out. I explain to her that the squirrel is just trying to get out. And she looks at me with panic in her face and says...... "But what is the squirrel going to DO TO MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!??????" *seriously?* At this point I began to pray for the strength I would need to get thorough the rest of the week!
This was about the closest thing to thrilling that Delaney got! The seat check!
OMGosh Daelyn would have been the same. The Green man would have been the talk of the rest of the trip! Goodness these girls. LOL
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