Lombard's Landing - Universal Studios

For a great seafood lunch or dinner on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf make your reservations at Lombard's Landing inside Universal Studios.  We visited there last night and enjoyed the dinner immensely.  The atmosphere and service were of excellent quality and dinner was great.

I was a little surprised to see so few people there but I think the location has something to do with it.  Located on the water way back in the park, Lombard's isn't too far from the Men  in Black attraction.  I've been to Universal Studios many times and walked past it every time for years.  So, for me, it's a bit of a new discovery but I was glad I did.

You can dine in Lombard's main room with an awesome view or outside on the deck and watch the after hours water and firework show.  The menu prices are surprisingly reasonable but I noticed that dinner prices aren't much more than lunch. The most expensive thing on the menu was the sirloin steak at $21.99.  My daughter had the lobster mac and cheese and I had the fisherman's basket.

Lombard's Landing also has a deal going on for $44.95/each you can dine and stay for the after hours show watching it from the deck.  That's a little steep for me but for  group of adults who don't have to get up for work the next morning it would be a nice experience.

Check out the menu to the left.  Reservations are required.  You can make them at www.UniversalOrlando.com or at the guest services kiosk located just inside the entrance to City Walk.

Universal City Walk -Orlando

At Universal Studios City Walk, if you can't find a way to have fun then you're in trouble. City Walk is a street full of bars, restaurants, shopping, mini golf, and more.  In fact, it has everything for a good time without the cars.

A great place for a date or a special occasion, City Walk has first class dining like Emeril's or casual but fun like Margaritaville or Bubba Gump's.  Visit shops like Quiet Flight Surf Shop, Cigarz, or The Island Clothing Store.

City Walk has Quick Serve burgers, Starbucks, and TCBY.  There is too much to mention but it's all great.

For dining reservations call 407-224-FOOD or visit the City Walk dinner reservation cart when at Universal Studios. There are certain discounts for annual passes and AAA members so be sure to ask when making your reservations.

Legoland Florida Water Park Opens May 26th

Legoland of Florida in Winter Haven announced that it will open it's new water park in May 2012.

The water park will be located adjacent Legoland and will be included in the price of an annual pass ($179).  Those who purchase a day pass must add $12 to the ticket price but unlike other parks there will not be a stand alone price for the water park only.  If you go to the Legoland site you can see a sketch of what the park will look like.  Looks pretty decent with slides, pools, and a river probably to go tubing on.  Not much else to post about now but I'll add it as soon as something else comes up

Legoland is located about 1/2 hour west of Walt Disney World.  Take I-4 from Orlando and get off on Exit 55 South to Winter Haven.  Right on State Rd 540 and 4 miles on the left you're there.

Interesting note:  I didn't know but there is also a Legoland in  Windsor, England, Carlsbad, California, Germany, and Denmark.  I guess you don't have to come to Florida but it would be nice if you did!

Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom at Christmas

As far as I'm concerned Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is the place to be at Christmas time.  The only other place that has as much magic or charm at this time of year is New York's Rockefeller Center.  Disney rolls out the lights and light shows like nowhere else on earth and this year has been no exception.

We noticed the crowds are a little lighter than in past years but we know the economy has kept more folks closer to home.  The people were there, however, in droves but you could actually move around a little better and the longest we waited for any one ride was 45 minutes (Space Mountain) which is exceptional at this time of year.  Most ride waits were 15-20 minutes which is very good.

This is a view of Space Mountain from the entrance to the Grand Prix Raceway that your kids are going to love.  We went on all the big rides:  Space Mountain, Grand Prix Raceway, the Haunted mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  The wait was a little longer for Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain.  The day was great.

I never did it before but we posed for a photo in front of Cinderella's Castle.  The photographers are everywhere and they give you what looks like a credit card with a code on back.  You can stop in at any of the photo kiosks at any of the parks and view your shots.  There's no hurry to buy the pictures.  You can even return home and go to DisneyPhotoPass.com, create a log on, and view your shots from home.  Then you can order them from your PC if you like them.

There are tons of eateries and we always get the fast food stuff because kids aren't that interested in eating but we know they have to.  Disney has mastered the efficient fast food counter.  They serve hundreds of customers an hour in all their cafes and you don't wait too long.  The hard part is getting a seat.  Split your party up and have some secure a table while the others go to the food order line or you can end up walking around looking for a table while your food gets cold.

The weather in Orlando has been between 72-82 degrees this week with sunshine so for those from up north it's perfect for you.  It's usually in the 40's or 50's this time of year so you should love it while we in Florida wait for a cool down.

I took these pictures on December 23rd and you can see nobody's  wearing sweaters.  If you make it here you'll be pleased. My next post is about Disney hotels so stay tuned.

Sea World Christmas

We spent the day Sunday at Sea World.  It's the second day of their Christmas Celebration and we loved it.  The first thing we always do is hit the big rides:  Manta, Journey to Atlantis, and Kraaken.  The we went to the whale and dolphin show.  This is always spectacular but it's hard to get photos of a fast-moving animal with a cell phone.   I took quite a few this time because you can't tell if you actually got it.  The show includes

dolphins, pilot whales, and  flying macaws.  There is also an acrobatic act over the water that's worth seeing.  We skipped the Shamu Theater because the show times didn't match up with where we were in the park but we did see the Winter Wonderland On Ice, a skating, singing, and character show.  I missed this one last year but it was worth seeing.  The show is in an outdoor amphitheater with a breathtaking view of the entire park. They have real ice and snow.  If you have been to or live near Rockefeller Center in New York it gives you the feel without the tall buildings in the background. 

Next, we visited the Polar Express which is the Arctic Adventure during the regular season.  Narrated and starred in by Tom Hanks there is a small film preview followed by a virtual train ride through a winding mountain range.  The entire adventure takes about ten minutes.  I took this shot of a quartet outside standing  in front of the locomotive from the movie.  When you step off the ride you walk through the arctic and see beluga whales, polar bears, and walruses.  you wind your way through an Alaskan type outpost which is cold inside.  I lived in Alaska for a number of years and the experience is very realistic.  I like it so much it makes me miss living there.    

We didn't eat there this trip.  Please see my previous posts for any dining information.  I posted this article more for the pictures this time.  I thought you'd enjoy them.

Check out Sea World's web site for ticket information and pay special attention to the passes and multi-day ticket prices.  Central Florida is a great place to visit year round but we do it up for Christmas so I hope if you plan to come down you enjoy yourselves and want to come back!  Thanks.