Ride It Out!
Married Universal Orlando enthusiasts Jess and Tyler take you on a low-stakes adventure through the wild, wacky, and sometimes even thrilling world of themed entertainment.
Ride It Out!
RIO 2: The (Mostly) Universal Orlando Q&A
Tyler and Jessica engage in a lively Q&A session about (mostly) Universal Orlando, sharing intimate details of their theme park experiences, preferences, and wishlist items while reflecting on what makes Universal special.
• Favorite team member interactions range from friendly Hulk ride operators to the playful King's Cross Station attendants
• The best and worst ride types discussed, like screen-only attractions and dark rides
• Food recommendations include the tots at Green Eggs and Ham and drinks at Chez Alcatraz
• Diagon Alley stands out as a place where both wish they could spend more time immersed in the theming
• Backstage tours remain an elusive experience that Tyler has been trying to experience for over a decade
• Happy places in the parks include the bridge near Velocicoaster, Camp Jurassic, and the ET ride queue with its distinctive forest smell
If you have thoughts to share with the show, you can text us using the link in the show notes or email us at rideitoutpod@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you and might respond on a future episode!
Oh, let's get a word from our sponsors. Ava is sponsoring this episode of Write it Out and she wanted you guys to know that she wants some bones, so you should buy some bones and send them to. She's going gonna set up a po box. Um, uh, you could be a paid sponsor if you are, you know, not ethically questionable. We'll, we'll show you some love. Oh my god, he's back.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, jokes on you, because I can edit all of that out, but I probably won't no, I hope you do.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome back to ride it out. The theme park podcast about theme parks and we do it all. I'm tyler and tyler am, am tyler and am jessica wow, we're gonna get that so smooth. Eventually, no one will even know the difference don't promise things that we have no chance of delivering uh, it is a lovely way too hot spring day in tallahassee.
Speaker 2:We just came back this morning from uh going to a you would call it a farm.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, they were having an event, uh, where you could go pick your own strawberries.
Speaker 1:And it was just the quaintest thing in the world. So, whimsical. Our child ate too many illegal strawberries.
Speaker 2:Way too many. Yeah, uh, like five or six, and they were just in the dirt it was great. It was was great it was a good time overall, um but uh, and we have showered, the baby is sleeping it was important to say the showering bit because, like you mentioned, it's hot miserable. Yeah, uh, I was sweating, but I will say it gave me a little bit of a taste of being at the parks. Yeah. Because I had my Spider-Man shirt on. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You're. You're practicing for for summer, you know, getting yourself all hot and bothered.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Hot and bothered. I think has a different connotation.
Speaker 1:Well, you're hot and bothered for theme parks, who's to say? Well, anyway, the baby is asleep. Currently she's got maybe about an hour left on the timer, which is the perfect podcast link. So, exactly, let's do it I'm ready.
Speaker 2:Uh, I think we're just gonna get right into it. I did want to say that, uh, we're getting excited because this weekend, uh, you're listening to this a few days after we're recording, but this weekend it is the media previewed weekend for Epic Universe.
Speaker 1:Yes, first weekend in April.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we are already seeing things come in from people that we follow on some social media. I heard the Battle at the Ministry Harry Potter ride has not been running until literally like a few hours ago.
Speaker 1:Oh goodness.
Speaker 2:The first people are actually getting on it for the first time, such drama. Yeah, do you know anything about the ride?
Speaker 1:Uh, okay, time travel.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah.
Speaker 1:Flu powder, flu powder. That's about it.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, you know who the main villain is, though, right.
Speaker 1:Umbridge, umbridge.
Speaker 2:Which, arguably, is the biggest villain of the books.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you know the real life, actual villain. Yes, we are very way more terrified of umbridge, because we've all had a teacher like umbridge yeah, I went to catholic school, so I had several teachers like umbridge I am so sorry yeah, you know, did they character?
Speaker 2:Well, were they like as color coordinated as her at least? Oh, no, no, no no, very.
Speaker 1:I mean, education is very underfunded, even in private schools. So they didn't. They couldn't afford to have cute little outfits.
Speaker 2:That's a shame. I know, yeah, it's going to be great. I won't spoil it here for you. I would really love for you to go into that ride, not knowing.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, speaking to me.
Speaker 2:To you, to me, okay, not like I'm not talking to anybody, I'm talking to everybody else.
Speaker 1:We're talking to a podcast. Do you care about other people knowing what this ride is about? Do we have anything we want to talk about?
Speaker 2:here. I can tell you that it uses a similar ride system to like Spider-Man. Okay.
Speaker 1:And Can you?
Speaker 2:explain Transformers in that. So you know for me and I'm talking to you, jess.
Speaker 1:Listening yeah.
Speaker 2:That. I love the scoop vehicle from Spider-Man. It's really fun. It does a lot of fun motion stuff. But basically imagine the spider-man vehicle but it's an elevator. It's like supposed to feel like an elevator but it can go up and down about 10 15 feet to get on like multiple levels okay, so if you imagine, like how the ministry of magic elevators that go up down sideways left, right, whatever, A wonk-a-vator some people have called it.
Speaker 1:I mean that fits.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's all you get Okay. Yeah, some screens which is unavoidable. Well, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we expected this.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:As long as it's not primarily I mean Spider-Man. It has screens, but it's not all about it, they're blended in, they're blended in. There's some interesting practical stuff yeah.
Speaker 2:Fire.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but the image of the scoop vehicle that you're referring to as Spider-Man is on our Instagram. We have an Instagram, apparently. Thanks, tyler.
Speaker 2:Guys, we've got all kinds of stuff now. I was busy trying to after we launched the podcast. I was then immediately like, oh crap, I need to like get all the social accounts before other people get it. So you can pretty much find us anywhere at Ride it Out, pod P-O-D. That's our email.
Speaker 1:It's our website, instagram, youtube all of those things Also need to brag on you, because not only have you done all of the heavy lifting on the podcast, or I just have to show up like he upgraded our yeah, you'll notice, we sound good.
Speaker 2:Now we hopefully sound better.
Speaker 1:If we don't sound good, that is just the fault of us and not the equipment right and I can handle that, yeah, so. Tyler did all of that. You also just a one-off real quick. Let me just quickly write this beautiful theme song which I listened to and I was like, yeah, that, so yeah, the theme music is by me yeah, uh and uh.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I like bragging on myself, but I've really liked it. I wrote it in 30 minutes.
Speaker 1:Hell, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mostly I'm a musician. I have been making some other music and I already had a template set up for like a pop punk kind of sound. Yeah. And, uh, just kind of sat down and did it. So if you like that, um, and just kind of sat down and did it.
Speaker 1:So if you like that, you're fucking welcome, and if you don't like it, then why are you here? Yeah, you're listening to the wrong podcast because it's all that's. That's what we're about.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, we're getting things in order. And speaking of getting things in order, segue Today's episode. Thank you so much. Today's episode episode. Thank you so much. Today's episode. Uh, the idea that we had for it is uh, we have each come up with five questions for the other person about uh well, at least mine are a mix of things, specifically about universal orlando, but also kind of just some general theme park things I think mine may be.
Speaker 1:They might be exclusively and that's okay, there's no rules, you can make the rules yeah, yeah, you can answer some of these more openly if you want, but yeah, I had universal in mind when I wrote them, so you do you well, there it is um, and I think we should just get right into that yeah, let's do it if you're into it yeah, who goes first?
Speaker 2:you want to rock paper scissors? All right, okay, we're gonna do.
Speaker 1:Uh, this is gonna be audio oh, I was like I was so uncomfortable because I was doing it with my left hand and I'm right-handed. I'm like I don't know how to make a scissor. I'm like just swap hands with the mic and then you can it's so easy to put that mic in the other hand I did it okay all right, we're gonna do rock paper scissors wait, if you win that, what does that mean?
Speaker 2:If I win, then I go first. If you win, then you go first.
Speaker 1:Then you read me your question first. Yeah, fantastic, let's do it.
Speaker 2:Rock paper scissors shoot. She got me, she did scissors.
Speaker 1:I did paper, okay, amateur mistake.
Speaker 2:Is that your first question?
Speaker 1:All right, Tyler, my first question for you is what has been your favorite interaction with a team member?
Speaker 2:Oh, that is such a good question, oh man. So my answer for this is actually oh, I was thinking that it was from Busch Gardens, but I think it actually was at Islands of Adventure getting on the Hulk. This was on my solo trip, I think.
Speaker 2:One of your many solo trips, One of my many solo trips, and I was feeling silly enough and happy enough by my experience that was going on at the parks that I started to get on the ride and it was a pretty low volume train that I was getting on, so there were, like I don't know, it was maybe half full. Um, and I get on, I start to sit down and the ride attendant comes over and starts I think they're called Gamma Techs at Hulk. Um, he comes over and starts buckling me in and I just look up at him and I go hey, dude, how you doing? And he goes doing pretty good man, how are you.
Speaker 2:And I was like nice, I'm glad to hear that you having a good day. He's like can't complain, man, I'm on the Hulk. Hell yeah so that was pretty great. And then when I got off the ride I did like a what do you call this?
Speaker 1:gesture I'm making right now. Sign language for why Like a hang ten bro?
Speaker 2:Hang loose. You know where you got your thumb and your pinky out. I was just like hmm. And then he did it with both hands and like crossed and did a dance and stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh, hell yeah, he was feeling it, he was having a good time.
Speaker 2:The only other one that comes to mind that I can think of is one of our first times going to, and sorry if I'm like stealing yours, because I want to hear yours too. Actually, you go now. Oh, if I have to add, it.
Speaker 1:I was really hoping that I would not have to answer, because I did not think of answers.
Speaker 2:Totally fine, you don't have to I yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1:I think I know the one that you would say oh well, maybe you can do it for me. Then I was just gonna say I, I love what you said, because I I just love treating people like they're humans yeah and just like you know, like you know, it's more fun that way yeah, and just I don't know. I'm sure there's so many people who just like walk right by and like you know they're, they're out there doing their jobs and trying to make your day special.
Speaker 2:So yeah, ignoring people that have to be in a place all day long sucks yes, and and it's just, it's just rude, but I I kind of love that.
Speaker 1:Um, you've explained this to that uh at disney, the folks who work there are so uh like extra and extra and excited about their jobs and they're like I am bringing the magic to everyone. So they're they're just like on cloud nine always and they just want to make your day perfect. Like, oh, oh, my best team member interaction for any theme park would probably be. I went to Disney with uh, one of my best friends from childhood growing up, kirsten.
Speaker 1:Um, we went for kirsten yeah, we went for spring break in college and um, we went on. Is it space mountain?
Speaker 2:the indoor dark coast.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes and uh, we both got like mickey mouse ears and we went on and I don't know if there's like a cubby or like I sat on my ears or something, but I left my ears on the ride and I was so sad about it and we like went over and we're like I'm so sorry we left our ears. Do y'all have like a lost and found or whatever? And they were like come on, and we got to the front of the line. They had my ears and then they let me and Kirsten ride it again.
Speaker 2:Oh, my, ride it again, oh my god.
Speaker 1:And we skipped the line and I was just like that, that's just disney. That is like I want the disney I want to give you the little magic and make your day great. So that was super cool. But universal is not like that. They're like look, we're professionals, we'll do our job, but it's on you if you want to have a good day exactly, and I like that.
Speaker 1:There there are certain people who are like in character and certain people who are just like yeah, I'm here working the ride, get on and I'll strap you in Like I would say, like the mummy people on stilts are probably my favorite because they just sit there and glare at you and like my child will be like in a stroller, like looking up at them. They're just like I'm going to get in your face and glare at you.
Speaker 2:And yeah.
Speaker 1:I like that dedication.
Speaker 2:It's nice yeah you and yeah, I like that dedication, it's nice. Yeah, what I thought you were gonna say was outside of the king's cross station over in studios.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, you love going up to those attendants. It we it was like one of the first times we had gone there. You went up to one of the attendants who, uh, is like a, like a train employee is what they look like for the train station. They're standing outside and you went up to them and you were like, excuse me, do you know how to get to platform nine and three quarters? And they, you know, were fully in it, like fully committed to the role, and we're like we don't have a platform. What Platform? Nine and three quarters.
Speaker 1:Well, and they say they're in a British accent too, like they're fully in character.
Speaker 2:You know Nine and three quarters well, and they say they're in a british accent too like they're fully in character. You know nine and three quarters. Yeah, there's no nine and three quarters.
Speaker 1:There's a nine, there's a ten you know, and then they pull out like change in their pockets and they're like I have three quarters here. You want that, you know and like so, and I've done this multiple times and they all do it.
Speaker 2:It's so great yeah, it's so fun. That's a fun interaction yeah, yeah you ready for my first one? Yeah, let's do it okay, this is something that I don't. I mean, I have guesses, but I've never asked you outright okay, what is your favorite and least favorite type of ride at any theme park or amusement park?
Speaker 1:okay when you say like type of ride, like kind of just genre.
Speaker 2:I can list a few if you want that would probably be helpful.
Speaker 1:But I can say my least favorite is like a screens. Either a screens only, yeah, or like a simpson ride where it tries just like a moving theater. It tries to move you, but then it does screens and it just makes you sick. I can't do a lot of the like traditional fair rides, that kind of like whip you around and we call those uh flat rides yeah, yeah. So a lot of that stuff can can make me because it's all just about spinning.
Speaker 2:Spinning's not super fun after you hit your 30s yeah, can be for some. I can spin a bit, I can do upside downs a bit you can do a lot, of a lot of things I mean, even I had a point where I'm like, yeah, I'm good on this, yeah, I get it so I would say that probably is my least favorite.
Speaker 2:But give me some, some examples of types so I mean, you know a lot of these. Uh, roller coasters is a type um, we've got um dark rides, which are vehicles that move through different show scenes inside a building usually, and we can talk about examples of this stuff. We've got like double shot style rides where it shoots you up a tower.
Speaker 1:Ooh, that's Lee's favorite. I do not like that sinking. Yeah, I know you hate that feeling. Yeah, I can't do that. That's why I think. I'll probably never skydive, because I don't yeah.
Speaker 2:Just the free fall. You don't do that, that's why I?
Speaker 2:think I'll probably never skydive, because I don't yeah, just the free fall you don't like that I don't, yeah, you don't even like that, when we like go over hills in a car um water rides. I like this, okay, yeah yeah, you got like a log flume type um, then there are. I mean, there's like swings yeah there's um what you call like slot car rides um. Universal doesn't have a lot of those. Do they have any of those? I don't think so um what else?
Speaker 1:what is that?
Speaker 2:so give me an example a slot car, so yeah, so, like Test Track at Disney is a slot car ride. Okay, do you remember that? No, you get in a car and you go really fast, but you're like on this, your car like straddles this rail. Okay. And that's what like moves it along. Okay, okay, is that an Epcot? Yeah, no, yeah, yeah, I don't know, man, I've maybe done it, so we didn't talk about this last time. I've only been to Disney once.
Speaker 1:That's so wild.
Speaker 2:My senior year of high school we took a band trip to Disney World. We went to several of the parks. We weren't like playing or performing, we just went. Yeah, that's cool. It was really fun. I like that. What are other types of rides? Uh well, and then you have like combinations of those things and that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 1:I think is probably my favorite is a combination because, like I love, the thing I love about a dark ride is that you're in air conditioning, which is, which is great for theme parks, um, but I love a roller coaster like that's just kind of like what you think of, but the theming is not always there. Usually the point is just to put you on a thing and whip you around. So I love theming. So a integrated experience, um mean Hagrid, isn't even quite.
Speaker 2:Hagrid has like a new type of name for a thing. They call it a story coaster, yeah. Cause there are like show scene moments.
Speaker 1:Yes, that you stop at that's so fun. It's amazing. Yeah, I really. I really love that.
Speaker 2:If you have not, if you are listening to this and you have not been on hagrid's magical creatures motorbike adventure tm, you are absolutely missing out on like one of the best rides that exists in the world.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's great well, and I I love anything that, like you, can get a good view of the park yeah, and it doesn't even have to be like the highest view, like even just a what's the, the little um trolley thing, and the high in the sky Seuss trolley train ride. How do you just know all this off the top of your head?
Speaker 2:It's what I do, man.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:These are the things I've internalized.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, internalize, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's a really fun one. I I so that's over in seuss landing I. I am so sorry, I have to apologize.
Speaker 1:I called it seuss land last episode. That's what I call it, so you probably got that. That's what everybody calls it, it's fine, but I have integrity for this thing and I don't, yeah, but I've been on that ride a few times and sometimes they cut off different sections.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I've been on that ride a few times and sometimes they cut off different sections. That because it can go through buildings. It goes into, like, the Circus McGurkis little cafeteria area around the top. Anyway, they have these little switch moments where they can close it off from a specific area. Not sure why, but it's good when you get to go on that one and get to do all of the things that it does.
Speaker 3:It's like Universal's equivalent of sort of the equivalent of the People Mover.
Speaker 2:ride when you just get on you go look at stuff. It's a good view. So what are your favorite and least favorites. I mean, my least favorite type of ride is gonna match yours for sure. It's the moving theater rides. Yeah, um, I mean I've been on a few fun ones over the years, but it just pales in comparison to the other stuff that I really enjoy self-explanatory, I think. Simpsons also, for whatever reason, more than any of these other rides, uh, makes me really sick yeah, which is unfortunate um.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I would not be surprised if that ride leaves eventually within the next five or so years, once they start renovating stuff at um studios again after epic's open and running. Uh, my favorite type of ride, uh, this is really easy for me dark ride you do love it love a dark ride, not just for the ac that's a huge component but for the story presentation.
Speaker 2:And it's even better when it's a hybrid of multiple different types of systems, like, for example, men in Black. Technically a dark ride, but is also a shooter, interactive shooter ride.
Speaker 1:I love an interactive ride too. It's great yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's probably the best you know. I haven't been on a ton but based on what I have seen, men in Black. Still. It opened in 99, and it is still the best interactive shooter ride anywhere. So many practical animatronics, such cool theming, it's just a slam dunk.
Speaker 1:Very forgiving point system because I can shoot just anywhere near that alien and they're very, very accommodating.
Speaker 2:They do recommend that you shoot them. I mean, the eyes are like direct targets and a lot of them that have like glowing eyes will the color will change, so you'll be able to hear, and then your gun, I think, makes like a very slight noise change, but it's. I think it's pretty subtle. But yeah, head and shoulders and then eyes.
Speaker 2:So it is really forgiving I think knees and toes no knees and toes, knees and toes um, that song is very front of mind because we have a toddler, uh, but I think that also has to do with the, the gun that they have. Um, it shoots out in like a what, what would you call it? Not like a point, but it's like a. It spreads as it goes.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:My terminology is failing me.
Speaker 1:I don't know things about guns, so I can't help you Well.
Speaker 2:I know things about light guns cause video games yeah, but anytime you combine a dark ride with other stuff, the mummy incredible dark ride coaster hybrid Um yeah.
Speaker 1:Mummy incredible dark ride coaster hybrid um yeah, I just like physical interactions with the environment mostly, I think and the mummy is probably, if not the one of your favorite rides at universal orlando in total, and you almost always, if you don't do it first, you always end the visit.
Speaker 2:I do With mummy. Yeah, got to get on at least once. There's a lot of rides when I go to the parks where I have to get on them at least once, or it kind of feels a little disappointing. Mm-hmm. The last time we went I didn't get to do some of those favorites, just because it was like so slammed.
Speaker 1:Well, and I think you were letting me get on more stuff. So you were exploring the parks with Autumn.
Speaker 2:I was, which is fun for me too. Yeah, you do I like when you get to get on stuff.
Speaker 1:You get a lot of vicarious joy.
Speaker 2:Just in general.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, all right. So my next question for you is what is your favorite thing to eat or drink? I said at the parks, but I guess you could do like any park food. It doesn't have to be universal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good. Well, it depends on what we're talking about. Are we talking full meals? Are we talking snacks? Cause I'd probably have different answers. Are we talking full meals? Are we talking snacks? Because I'd probably have different answers. You know exactly what my snack answer would be. It is over in Seuss Landing again. There are so many reasons for us to go in there now, which is cool. But Seuss Landing right inside the entrance to the left, you got green eggs and ham and there are these tots you guys. There's a buffalo chicken tots and there's a pizza tots and they're both amazing.
Speaker 2:Amazing for theme park food. They're not like the best thing I've ever eaten in my life, but when you're there it's so good.
Speaker 1:And I would argue that could be a full meal.
Speaker 2:I haven't eaten it as a full meal.
Speaker 1:Yeah it doesn't have sides, so it's, I guess, technically a snack, but it's, it's filling. They're, yeah, they're delicious. That would probably.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's, that's probably my favorite food item um, shout out for sure to the pew too on youtube, because that's where I first found out about those seuss. Landing for years was always just a pass-through park for me. Land, fuck, you know what I mean that one's staying in, uh. But now, now that I've learned about that and now that I have learned the joy of especially when it's so hot in the middle of summer any one of those buildings, even the shops and stuff you walk in in, they are blasting AC.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:And then it's a little bit harder to think about full meals, because I don't think we have, unless I'm there by myself, which I've done a few times. We're not often like sitting down for meals.
Speaker 1:I think when you do and we're not going to count CityWalk, but like when you do sit down to a meal you're pretty much always at Finnegan's, is it Finnegan's?
Speaker 2:Finnegan's yeah, okay, over in Studios right across from the Mummy in the New York section. It's just like an Irish pub. I am a big fan of buffalo tendies yeah, so I go in there and get chicken tenders and have them toss them in buffalo sauce and usually get a beer, and it's perfect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a good time.
Speaker 2:Especially in the intense heat of the afternoon. You just sit down, enjoy some food that you know you're going to like and watch all the people mill around, and it's nice.
Speaker 1:So in terms of, so that's favorite food. How about drink?
Speaker 2:Favorite drink. So in terms of, so that's yeah, yeah, right before we're talking about in studios yes, right before you get to the diagonale area yeah or sorry, no, no, no, yeah, it's right, right before diagonale okay across from the fast and furious gift shop.
Speaker 2:Look, it's in that area at the wharf. Yeah, um, there is a. There's a bar called shea alcatraz, which also is right next to where they have the remaining um, jaws like statue of him hanging on the uh the thing, the good photo op. But shea alcatraz has a jaws themed drink called the ocean attack, I think they call it now um, and they have like a whole ritual thing that they do for it. So I won't tell you what that is, but go try that sometime. Be sure to look at what's in it.
Speaker 1:That whole bar has slammed on great cocktails.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They're expensive. It's a theme park, of course, there.
Speaker 2:You're not going to escape that.
Speaker 1:But I feel like that's not just like here's some alcohol, drink it. They're really nice, cool cocktails and the bartenders are always super nice. So nice yeah, yeah cool cocktails and the bartenders are always super nice, so nice, yeah, yeah. Although if you are more of a beer person, I will say that the the wizarding world I'll call it wizarding world they have their own? Fine, they have their own draft beer.
Speaker 2:They do, so I have several unique ones that are just sold at the parks. Yeah, and you can get them in the restaurants, but I would recommend going over to what are they called? Oh, the hog's head is one place that has them and the hopping pot, I think is the other one. Oh other chill spots to get a drink. It's in city walk, but um, margaritaville oh yeah and especially the um. What do they call it?
Speaker 2:the lone palm airport is a great spot to just get a good margarita and sit and people watch. It's sad now, though, because I think I don't know what happened to it, but they, the hemisphere dancer jimmy buffett's plane is not there anymore I don't know where, maybe his estate, like took it back after he passed away could be, or maybe they're moving it to one of the other restaurants or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's maybe it's gonna like tour or something, but it's jimmy buffett's actual plane that was actually shot at and he wrote a song about it jamaica mistaka. Yeah, yeah yeah, hilarious yeah very funny you could see like the bullet holes, and it was really yeah cool. Um, so my my favorite thing I mean, you know, the tots were probably my favorite thing. I was gonna say for sure we recently went to the minions cafe in studios surprisingly good food it was.
Speaker 2:I want to explore the menu more. I mean, I've really liked it. I think I got like a roast beef and cheddar sandwich.
Speaker 1:That sounds right. I got some kind of like pulled pork or pork belly something. It was delicious. It was like the messiest thing in the world, but you know I can forgive it if it's delicious, so that was cool.
Speaker 2:I do also want to go back to Mythos. Yes and be able to sit down there, yes, I've eaten there before.
Speaker 1:Now that Autumn is like a little bit older, maybe there's.
Speaker 2:you're looking at me like no, our child doesn't like to sit still.
Speaker 1:So we, as much as we love eating out, we haven't been to restaurants in a long time.
Speaker 2:Don't get to do it much.
Speaker 1:Hey, you know we'll go there again. Um, but yeah, mythos is delicious, um, and I think would be worth the sit down experience. Um, oh, favorite drinks, um, you know, I gotta, I gotta say butterbeer, it's butterbeer, it's always butterbeer, specifically the frozen. Yeah yeah, I've accidentally ordered cold before, and when you want frozen, you get cold. It's not the same thing.
Speaker 2:Have you tried the warm one?
Speaker 1:I have. I have when it's cold outside, the warm one is great.
Speaker 2:Yes, Any other time it's miserable. Yeah, any other time, not a fan, not great.
Speaker 1:I like to match the temperature of liquid to the temperature that I want to feel. Whereas you are just cold liquid all the time.
Speaker 2:liquid to the temperature that I want to feel, whereas you are just cold liquid all the time. Don't like hot liquid. Yeah, yeah, I don't know, sue me.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we're wrong about things.
Speaker 2:It's okay, rude, at Universal Orlando specifically. Where do you wish you could spend more time that you usually can't?
Speaker 1:Ooh, that's a great question.
Speaker 2:What's got the good vibes or the good views?
Speaker 1:I mean, I pretty much could always just sit in Harry Potter world like all day and just enjoy all the little moments in the, like, store front windows and that kind of thing. Um, so I mean that that's probably like I, I, I could, I could spend like a long time there.
Speaker 2:Um, I think that's what immediately comes to mind, yeah that's a good answer and diagonally specifically yes, I mean hogsmeade is really cute and cool and it's cool to see that and I and I love it snowy all the time, but yes yes, especially well it's.
Speaker 1:It's funny when it's like super hot out. You see the snow but, no yeah uh, but diagonally I think it, it, it feels more contained it's more immersive, more immersive you can't see the rest of the park, so you do feel like you're actually transported there.
Speaker 2:So yes, I think diagonally specifically yeah, it's good, and I mean getting to see the dragon blast off every so often is really fun it is, it is fun.
Speaker 1:How about you?
Speaker 2:oh man, that's tough because I feel like I do. Especially on the solo trips I've done, I have taken a lot more time to sit and chill or like when you're uh, writing something or doing something. I've had the opportunity to hang out with our daughter and, just you know, watch Central Park in studios is really fun to be at. What about in islands? Well, okay, back over in studios. This is not a place that I feel like I don't get to hang out much, but it's one of my favorite just places to exist in. Over there is the New York area, the back lot yeah.
Speaker 2:All the little alleyways. On my last solo trip I went and just looked in all the shop windows because they all have these little displays and there's like products sitting out and yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know, the attention to detail is so lovely. Um, I also love looking up, like on the second story, where they have like the facades of offices and things and uh, I'll see a name and I'll like Google what it is and it was like somebody who helped work on the parks or that kind of thing is really fun. Um, in islands, uh well, I mean the two park, the two lands and islands that you split off right from port of entry are seuss landing and marvel superhero island, and I feel like both of those are just really cool to just be in. Honestly, all of the islands they're all cool and immersive and fun. There's like no reason to hang out in lost continent anymore which is sad because it is a cool space.
Speaker 2:That used to be one of my favorite places to be Uh Poseidon's fury. I'm devastated that that is gone because there's literally nothing in that land anymore other than mythos and a few like snack places and shops I wish I would stay open until it was time to like actually until they're gonna do something with it.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, man, such a tragedy but I would have thought you would have said port of entry, because I think like you want to spend a lot of time soaking that up, but there's always like the rush to. I got to get through rides and there's no rides in port of entry.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:There's usually not much reason to linger there unless you're shopping or eating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, unfortunately, I think my answer is going to be every single land in the area.
Speaker 1:Cool, great. So that's not super fun. You just want to like sleep overnight.
Speaker 2:Honestly.
Speaker 1:Is that a thing that they do?
Speaker 2:But I've had dreams where I do that.
Speaker 1:I'm. I'm sure you've had multiple dreams, yeah.
Speaker 2:I have.
Speaker 1:No, but I I remember when I was in the Girl Scouts we did this overnight trip to Discovery Cove Where's that? It's? I think it's affiliated with SeaWorld in Orlando and we there's a space that you can see the dolphin enclosure and we just had that whole room closed off to us and we lined up our little sleeping bags and you just slept with the dolphins and just watched them swim all night long.
Speaker 2:That sounds so magical.
Speaker 1:It was amazing, it was wonderful. So if something like that existed for Universal no, you can't just get up and ride the rides through the night. But even if they were just to be there, even if the rides were like going doing their own thing.
Speaker 2:they just had the lights and the signs and stuff on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know you would love that music.
Speaker 2:You'd have to have the background music playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, otherwise it gets a little little creepy, I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great. Okay, my next question for you what is something we haven't experienced together at the parks that you want to do?
Speaker 2:What have we not gotten to do together? Oh so this is a general call for any listeners who have tips about this, Because for over a decade now I've been seeing that this is a thing that can be done. I try every time I'm in the parks. I feel like I just can't thread the needle, and you know what I'm about to say. Yeah.
Speaker 2:There are on most of the major attractions, rides, not attract. I mean I don't think they do this for shows. There are these like backstage tours that you can take. If so, there are so many different like criteria that go into whether or not they do this.
Speaker 2:It can't be too slow of a day because they need staff available. It can't be too busy of a day because if it's busy it's like all hands on deck. You can't be too busy of a day because if it's busy it's like all hands on deck. But if you get there at whatever combination of times and that they call it but you basically just say are you guys doing backstage tours today? And then they'll tell you yes or no. But if they're available and can do it, they lead you through the queue and they point out all kinds of details and stuff about the queues theming, uh, easter eggs, history, like how the ride was made, whatever and then sometimes they'll even take you down to the track for the ride and let you look at these areas that like nobody gets to see except for people that work there wow yeah, and I already know most of this stuff just from over the years, looking it up and like wanting to learn more about it, but getting to like go see it myself, I think would be a dream.
Speaker 2:So if you're a listener and you have successfully done one of these backstage tours, I would love to know when and how, and why and where and to what extent, because I'm I'm looking for it. I will also plug this right now, and I'll do it at the end too. Um, you can text the show now. There's a link in the show notes that says send us a text, uh, and that comes directly to us. We won't be able to respond through like a text message, uh, but there's possibility we might reply later on in a future episode, and so you can email us too. Anyway, let us know. I'm very interested. How about you?
Speaker 1:uh, yeah, something we haven't experienced together, I mean epic, you know yeah yeah, I thought I mean that's probably easy.
Speaker 2:Are there any rides that we haven't been on together?
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm sure there are. Yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:Probably so, because we probably really didn't frequently start coming together until you were pregnant.
Speaker 1:We started coming together the year before but, then I couldn't ride a lot of the rides for a bit. Um, I think it's been a while and you know, since we've had autumn we're usually swapping, so we're not writing stuff together. So like I mean even like haggards we've never written that together like I read it with Kat whoa you know, because we, we, we did child swap um, but we, you know, swap partners man, yeah, you're right, and for my.
Speaker 1:So I went to Universal for both my bachelor party before we got married yeah and also for a dadchiller party before we had our daughter which I highly recommend, like you extremely recommend you deserve a little, a little trip before you know it's uh, before things get complicated yeah, but for my bachelor party, uh, it was dragon challenge still oh wow yeah, with my group of groomsmen. So what year would that have been? 20, 15? Yeah, because it probably would have been the summer before we got married.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh no, you might have gone like March, like spring break time, something like that 2016.
Speaker 2:I can look that up. And yes, it was Dragon Challenge then. And then when I went for my bachelor party, obviously you weren't there. I was there without you. Yeah, and it was Hagrid's. Wow, wow, that's bonkers. If we did, how are we going to decide who rides on the bike and who rides in the sidecar?
Speaker 1:Oh well, I can't remember. I may I maybe have only done sidecar, I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:Oh, you have got to try the bike. Yeah, it's so unique. Yeah yeah, the sensation of like holding onto the handlebars and like leaning into the turns and stuff is like totally different than that's cool. Being on like a regular roller coaster, it's so so cool. Yeah, highly recommend. But it's really, if you're, especially if you're doing single rider, it's luck of the draw. Right.
Speaker 2:Right, like whoever you get paired up with, it's just like, whatever order you're in, the first person has to get on the bike and then the second person gets on the sidecar.
Speaker 1:But you've talked to people when you're randomly paired. I do yeah, Because you've asked like oh, have you never done this before? Do you want to be in the bike?
Speaker 2:I usually just ask what's your preference. You know like, do you want bike or sidecar?
Speaker 1:And then, if they don't have a strong preference, I'm like get me on that bike. That blew my mind, though I I thought I'm upset by that that we haven't done that together yet. Yeah, I don't know. There's there's still more exciting things to come for us.
Speaker 2:There's always new things to do, new goals, new little challenges to set for ourselves. Yep, it'll never get old, he said pretty confidently. Jessica Tyler, do you have a favorite screen ride?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I would probably say, I would probably say Forbidden Journey, because Does that?
Speaker 2:one make you sick? Yeah, a little bit. Does that one make you sick?
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little bit, yeah, I mean you know all the screen rides do. But I think that one feels very exciting. You're getting like the full scope of all of Hogwarts. It feels very magical. There's the dragon.
Speaker 2:There are so many physical props on that too. Yes, yes, good sets, yeah.
Speaker 1:The Dementors and the spiders.
Speaker 2:And yeah.
Speaker 1:So that one is a dark ride. Yes, yeah, yes, um, but there it has screens.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah okay, dark rides can have screens. Great, I just mean yes for clarification so yes, I would probably say that yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 2:Uh, spider-man for me, yeah, there are so many things that when and I would love to do specific episodes about maybe specific rides later on but when Spider-Man was created it pioneered a lot of this technology for the first time, basically new kinds of not math, but like new kinds of calculation to be able to have a moving ride vehicle in front of a screen and to like distort the stuff that's on the screen based on the perspective of the writer. They came up with a thing called squinching, where you're on the left side of the room, moving right, so what happens is whatever's in the foreground is roughly going to stay where it is, but the stuff in the background starts over on one side and then moves pretty severely over to the other side to make it look like real life. It's called parallaxing, where things move or appear to move differently based on how far away they are from an observer. Anyway, go look up just Google Spider-Man Universal Squinching S-Q-U-I-N-C-H.
Speaker 1:Thank you for knowing that you would need to spell that. Because it sounds like a made up word it is. But that effect where you are going up, like scaling up the building oh, that's one of my favorite parts of this ride. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Uh you, you move into this uh area where you have been shot with.
Speaker 2:Uh, oh gosh, what's?
Speaker 2:Doc Ock has the like anti-gravity gun or whatever that he's using to like steal the statue of liberty and he shoots you with it. So you start like floating up in the air and what happens in that room is they blast you with a fan so you like feel a lot of downward air movement to simulate moving upward. They also I mean the ride vehicles can lift up, but it's like a couple feet at most, maybe not even that high, but yeah, so they blow these fans and then, as you are moving into the room, you're seeing these buildings on the screen like go downward as if you're going up. But then also there are a few panels of actual, like physical I don't know what they're made of it could be foam board or like plaster or something for all I know that are having lights projected on them, so the lights are tracing downwards and then the props go into the floor. So it's this beautiful combination of things you're seeing on a screen being matched up with physical prop set pieces actually moving. That like really sells the illusion. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's so cool, it's so well done yeah.
Speaker 2:And that ride is ancient. Now, right, right, it's still so good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you can see why it was so innovative at the time.
Speaker 2:Um, I see a lot of movement from the child, so she's moving let's, uh, let's kind of rapid fire these next ones I'm gonna answer so fast great.
Speaker 1:Um, if you had one hour in the parks with no wait times, what would you do?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, with no wait times. Yeah. I would get on every single ride, at least once.
Speaker 1:Well, sure, but like, how would you prioritize?
Speaker 2:I would prioritize the stuff that probably the stuff that I know is most likely to break down in the middle of the day nice, so logical I don't know I get right on hagrid, I'd probably just work my way around.
Speaker 2:I would want to do all the coasters first thing in the wow. That's tough though on my old body now the. My priorities would be get on all the coasters, get on all of the um outdoor stuff before it gets super hot, then go inside, do a bunch of the dark rides, um, and then I don't know, depending on the time of year. Dude, dude, this is tough, the gears are turning. If there's no wait times, then I don't really have to prioritize anything.
Speaker 2:I can just get on it all. That was a good question. What, what, what are your like main priorities in that scenario?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say, hagrid and Velocicoaster are the like two got to get on first.
Speaker 2:I didn't even talk about Velocicoaster.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, dude Um Hulk, gotta get on first. I didn't even talk about the lost coaster. Oh yeah, dude um hulk, uh rip ride. Rocket is leaving soon and I feel like I did it for the last time, yeah, but the thing that sucks the most about it is the line, and we'll we'll probably have a whole thing talking about that. But, um, so if there were no wait times, I wouldn't have to deal with the line. So fine, I would do it again um.
Speaker 1:Rattle your noggin though yeah that might be the end of the day yeah, well, hulk does a little bit too um it does yeah, uh, so yeah I would. I would get on all the coasters um, but then I think I would just hit up like my favorites, you know, like it would be um mummy spider-man. Uh, forbidden journey, uh, let's see what.
Speaker 2:Uh, men in black just work your way around and hop on it all yeah yeah, that must be what people with like the unlimited express pass feels like all the time yeah, just go go do the specific ones they want, yeah that was a good one. Well, you kind of already asked one of my questions.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I was worried, this would happen. No, no it's fine.
Speaker 2:It just means you know we can get through a little faster. What is so? This is about any park, not just Universal. What are your happy places at the theme parks that you've?
Speaker 1:been to. My happy places. Yeah, I think there's a lot of good spaces for observing, I think when you first walk into diagonally and you see the dragon, like just looking out over there, um, that bridge by the lake, in studios where you can look over oh, between like wizarding world and world expo, where men in black is yes yes and so yeah, if you're facing away from men in black and looking back, like that's always like, oh, I'm here you know um.
Speaker 1:So I would say that I I've really enjoyed taking autumn to camp jurassic, so that's.
Speaker 2:That would definitely be one of mine.
Speaker 1:That's been fun. Oh, the bridge that's in between Hogsmeade and Velocicoaster, where you can just see Velocicoaster going around, yeah, around the backside of Hogwarts. That's been a place where, if one of us is with Autumn and the other is on the ride, like we hang out there. Like she loves watching the coaster go around, she does this? Kid is going to be ready to roll.
Speaker 2:I cannot wait.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that's really fun because, like, it's just great to see like all the excited people and you know they're whipping around and they're like, ah, and you're like, oh, I know, know they're whipping around, they're like, oh, I know how they're feeling, um, so, yeah, I would probably say this I know what about it like uh uh, wild adventures.
Speaker 2:You have a happy place there oh well, so wild adventures um.
Speaker 1:This is our kind of like home family park yes, in valdosta georgia think of it as like a mini bush gardens with a little more like fair and like family kind of rides than, like you know, it has like fewer roller coasters yeah, they do have a water park, which is cool they do, which is great. Um I, yeah, I I love all the animals there, yeah, so I think um they have a little uh boardwalk trail that you can go through.
Speaker 2:Um so good.
Speaker 1:It's, it's a lovely like immersive space, and especially at night at night or um holiday time. They do lights and, like a laser, show um in the winter time. So, yeah, so that that would probably be my favorite. How about you?
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, I mean, if it's hot outside that lazy river over in splash island, the water park uh lovely river um, if it's not so hot outside, then probably, um, that boardwalk with all the animals is really good through the forest. I don't know. I like to find the little areas that are kind of tucked away. Oh, you know what, right on the lake, right there they have this new like seating area with like a bunch of yard games and oh yeah, the like little brews and bites or whatever brews and bites I think, is what they call it now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it's just, you know, looks right over the water and it's a lot smaller than like a Universal, so you can like see everything, basically yeah, and play some games, have a drink or some food, and then they have live music out there sometimes too, which is really fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's a chill space.
Speaker 2:New York in studios. Yeah, central Park also in studios, which, funnily enough, is like on the other side from where the New York backlot is. Yeah. It's right outside of where they have the Animal Actors Show and kind of close to ET. Et is also a happy place for me.
Speaker 1:Oh, the ET line.
Speaker 2:Yeah, specifically, we have a candle in our house going right the second that it smells like the ET line. Yeah, specifically, we have a candle in our house going right the second that it smells like the ET ride.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 2:It smells like a forest and like nearby water.
Speaker 1:Yeah probably like maybe not the most popular opinion, but my favorite part of ET is the line in the woods, and then everything before you get to et's planet. I don't care about et's planet so sad I just want to fly over why?
Speaker 2:don't you want to help the green planet?
Speaker 1:I'll help if I'm there. I just don't want to go out of my way for it but they have.
Speaker 2:They're throwing a party for you, and that's where all the good water smell comes from yeah, I feel like I get some of that in the in the line too, Like I don't know yeah.
Speaker 1:It's great, I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to convert you to that eventually too.
Speaker 1:No, I, I, I'm down for it.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying like the forest area is just like so good.
Speaker 1:And I got to go back next time because, in line with Mike, when we went, they had technical issues and they had to turn on all the lights, which just ruins the illusion. It was so sad that we had to leave, so I've got to do that again.
Speaker 2:You got another one for me before we wrap it up, I do. She's being very still right now, which is great.
Speaker 1:I know she kind of like tucked back in Five more minutes. Yeah, my last question for you If you could replace fast and furious with any retired ride, what would it be? And why is it Jaws?
Speaker 2:Oh man, it wouldn't be Jaws, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:I know mine would be, so I know yeah.
Speaker 2:I know Jaws was. Jaws was a great ride. I unfortunately I was so young when I rode it. The few times I really liked it, but it scared the absolute shit out of me. Yeah yeah, as an adult I feel like it would be way more fun, but honestly, what I would replace Fast and Furious with is the thing that it replaced a few versions before that.
Speaker 2:That earthquake, the big one oh yeah, the big one the big one because it was earthquake, which was if you're not familiar, go look up videos. Um, it was a simulation of what it's like to be in an earthquake in a subway station. So you get on this subway train, you go into the station and then all of a sudden you know the ground starts shaking, the entire room starts flooding with water, like thousands of gallons of water sparks flying everywhere, the ceiling cracks, a semi-truck falls down from the ceiling towards you and bursts into flames, and then at the end of the ride they stop everything, let all the water drain out, then reset all the props, so everything just resets back into place and then you roll back out. Um, it feels very old, universal to me, like hollywood tram tour style where they have like the big flood scene through the street. I don't know, there's just something again that's so practical about it. But because it's not tied to an ip, people have no reason to go do it. I mean it. It kind of was.
Speaker 2:It was like loosely based on, like the earthquake movie oh see, I didn't realize that it wasn't directly tied in the movie uh, I mean, maybe it is, but it's like uh, nothing, I mean there's no like actors or anything in the thing, not in the same way as like twister was. Yes yeah, oh man, twister is great too. Let's talk about that one day. Um, yeah, talk about old, defunct attractions. Yes, like every other theme park, content creators, I don't care I love it.
Speaker 1:We do what we want we make the rules.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, it would be that. So it was earthquake and then it was disaster, which was, uh, when studios first opened in orlando. Um, it was very focused on the making of the movies and the immersive nature of you are riding the movies. Ride the movies was their slogan for a long time and they have moved pretty hard away from that over time, just because I think people are less, for whatever reason, less interested in how movies are made and more interested in I want to see familiar characters and scenes and things, rather than it be like like. The mummy is a is a holdover of this.
Speaker 2:The mummy is like you're coming on the set of the sequel to the mummy yeah and uh actually, but there's a curse on set and we're trying to figure out why and whatever. So you're gonna get. But then at the suit the second the ride starts, there's one reference to it being a movie set. Which is the guy that gets silenced at the very beginning is a pa with, like the red hat that shows up, uh, in one of the pre-show like q videos. But that's the only reference from that point that anything is from a movie or is a movie set. Yeah, and so disaster was and we don't spend a lot of time on this uh like a making of the movies type thing, where they like had a big pre-show thing. They would bring audience participators up and film them on green screens, like reacting to things falling and crumbling, and then you get to like see yourself cut into the disaster movie that was being made. So it was neat, um, but yeah, it's earthquake.
Speaker 1:I never did Um back to the future either.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, did I I? I honestly can't remember if the first time I went there, if they even had it we weren't riding a ton, though I honestly can't remember if the first time I went there, if they even had it. We weren't riding a ton, though my younger brother did not want to get on things. Yeah so they forced him to get on Jaws.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell him, it was a boat ride. This poor child, how old was he?
Speaker 2:Way too young.
Speaker 1:He'd appreciate it now I think he'd love it now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if I ever make it over to Japan, they still have Jaws at Universal Japan.
Speaker 1:Wow, if only.
Speaker 2:If only.
Speaker 1:That was super fun. You had great questions, you had great questions and great answers.
Speaker 2:You're the one. Okay. Okay, well, thanks for hanging out. Sorry we got to rush off, but our child is almost done with her nap and we need to make some preparations for.
Speaker 1:The awakening, the awakening. If you've got any questions for us about the parks and our experience that you want us to answer, text them to us. And maybe we will.
Speaker 2:Of course you can also send us an email to write it out Pod pod at gmailcom. You can find us on either YouTube or instagram if you're so inclined. Probably not going to be super active on there, but you know we'll be around, we'll hear you eventually trying to take a social media cleanse.
Speaker 1:So probably not going to be doing a whole bunch of uh responding to things on there, we'll see it at least, and we can talk about it on here. And you'll see it. So you know, yeah, you do you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for hanging out. Uh, I'm glad we sound better and I'm Tyler. I'm Jess. And until we write again no screens, no screens. That was us, high-fiving at the very end you.
