Universal Studios

If you thought mid-February would be a good time to avoid the crowds at Florida theme parks, you'd be wrong. We were! Apparently everyone from the Midwest flies south for the winter. Plus, the Saturday we chose to go to Universal Studios was especially busy because American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, was performing there that evening. Wahoo!

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Fresh from a blissful night of sleep, we drove to the park early to get a jump on the day. We acquired a wheelchair for Miss Emma knowing that the long days of walking and standing would be hard on her. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because it kept her from poopin' out early and it got us ahead of the lines for a few attractions. It was a curse because it was such a challenge to navigate the crowds with that thing - yeesh! It made me grateful that we don't have to deal with that situation on an ongoing basis.

The backdrop? A total facade.

Now, Universal Studios offers some perks for those who are willing to pay for it. Here's my opinion about them in a nutshell:

• Preferred Parking ($20 instead of $15) = worth it to park closer
• Express Pass (nearly double the cost of admission to get in the front of the lines) = worth it
• Meal Deal (eat all day for $20.99) = SOOOO not worth it because the food was awful

Jake with some hot chick.

Universal is a great park for older kids who want to be immersed in their favorite movies and shows. Unfortunately for our kids, they hadn't seen many of the shows the rides were patterned after except for Barney (you know, the purple dinosaur). We realized that there are quite a few movies that we need to introduce them to (i.e. Twister, Jurassic Park, Jaws, etc.). Jake didn't even know who Marilyn Monroe was!

Em in the Revenge of the Mummy gift shop. Cool ride, even better merchandise.

I was having a great time at Universal Studios until I rode the Simpsons Ride. Don't get me wrong. I wanted to like it. It was super funny and well done, I just couldn't handle it, um, physically. Apparently I've become quite susceptible to motion sickness. I've never really had a problem until this vacation where every day was spent riding rides. The Simpsons was one of those virtual reality situations (think Star Tours). I. Was. Sick.

Fortunately, for every roller coaster there was a ride like E.T. Adventure (lame). I really loved Disaster, which used to be the old Earthquake ride. It's been revamped to make you feel like you're an extra in a movie. Christopher Walken plays the director and he's oh so funny! I also enjoyed the Terminator 3D experience because I got to sit still - HA!

On our way out to dinner.

Late in the afternoon we were feeling a bit peaked, so we left the park for some down time. We hit an Abuelo's for dinner and rested up at the timeshare. Refreshed, we were able to fight the crowds to get a closer look at this:

Kelly, up close and personal.

Emma managed to capture some video and pictures by sitting precariously on her daddy's shoulders. That situation didn't last long for either of them, however. Every chance we got, we edged our way closer to Kelly. We sang, we danced, we laughed, we elbowed. It was a GREAT concert! That girl's voice is like butta!

Mom and Dad get extra cool points today!

We really feel like we got a great deal that day: an amusement park AND a concert? You becha!

Jake and Em in front of the Back to the Future Delorean (yet another movie to show 'em).