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2003 04-09 We got up at 5:30am and got ready go. By 6:00am, we woke the kids to the smell of fresh Krispy Kremes. The doughnuts went down quickly. We finished packing, loaded up the Explorer and bid farewell to our vacation home at 6:30am. The interesting part was that we drove to the airport in the rain. With the exception of about 10 minutes of rain while driving back from the park one evening, that was the only precipitation we saw. Plus, it was expected to last most of the day, with a cold front coming through and temperatures dropping about 15 degrees. We got the best week of the year as far as weather was concerned. The airport was only about a 15-minute drive. We returned the Explorer, got our luggage checked and got through security without any delays. We launched out of MCO right on time, and thanks to favorable winds, arrived in Detroit a little early. A 90-minute layover gave us time to relax and even type up some of this narrative. A sort flight to Lansing meant the end of vacation, and the return to our normal lives. Observations I could never live in Orlando. The traffic alone is a nightmare. No matter when we were on the rode, so were thousands of others. The tourist crowds were down, most likely due to the events of late, but still, the roads were packed. Every major thoroughfare is a toll road. I’m sure this was an invention of the local elected officials designed to extract every last penny out of the non-locals. Still, even given the tolls, the roads are worth it as they are much less congested than the crazy surface roads. People drive slower here that most other places I have been. Normally, I would assume this was related to the advanced average age of Florida residents, but after observing the drivers, it really didn’t appear to be related to age. Perhaps it has something to do with the omnipresent local and state law enforcement vehicles. There were police everywhere. While this presents possible consequences to those who like speed, it did offer a sense of safety, knowing that there was a cop just around the next bend in the road. It is interesting noting the differences between Disney & Universal. The first is that Disney knows how to move people and Universal does not. Our wait to park at Universal on Monday would never happen at Disney. At Disney, you arrive, you park, you shuttle, and you’re in. At Universal, you arrive, you wait, you park, you walk, you walk, you walk, you walk, you walk some more and you’re in. The second difference is infrastructure. At Disney, you never see any. The rides are all perfect. You don’t see supports, lights, anything but what they want you to see. And, you never, and I mean never, see anything behind the scenes. At Universal, you see gates that go behind the scenes. You see supports. You see lights. It’s not that the rides are bad, far from it. It’s just that the attention to detail that Disney pays really makes that difference. Both parks have a wide variety of rides and shows to choose from. Both have water rides, both have roller coasters, both have stunt shows, rock and roll shows and other musical shows. Disney is aimed at a younger audience, with items for the adults. Universal seems aimed at a more mature crowd. The humor in the shows is definitely geared for adults. While not crude, there are enough references and double entendres to make older kids and young teens blush. I cannot remember being at Florida and having lines this short. The longest line we waited in was 45-minutes for Rockin’ Roller Coaster on 4/8 at about 6:30pm. I overheard others in line saying the same thing. What’s bad for the tourism industry proved to be good for us. |
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Please read my disclaimer. This page last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2003 10:16:44 AM
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