We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel on the Universal property. This is not the way we usually roll, so it was a huge thrill for me, especially, to stay in a posh hotel. The service was excellent everywhere on the property, and I felt pampered. The music memorabilia displayed around the hotel was pretty interesting, but my two favorite parts of the Hard Rock were the pool and the constant music throughout.
This is the front desk. The minute we walked through the front doors, I knew we were in the right place. I like loud music, and it was ever present here. I felt energized and really cool just being there.
The play list varied according to the time of day, day of the week, and even the weather. All the songs were about rain the day it was storming.
The pool was amazing. Each time we entered the pool area, there was a towel attendant who asked, "How many towels today?" The far side gradually sloped down like a beach, with white sand and row upon row of lounge chairs.
The servers from the poolside restaurant/bar worked the whole pool area, and many people hung out in the pool with their drinks.
Every day there was a different performer on this stage, and every night was "Dive In Theater" where they showed a movie on a big projection screen. Sunday afternoon was like family day with contests, sing-alongs, and games for the kids.
Over at City Walk, there is also a Hard Rock Cafe, which has an attached performance venue. All the people lined up in this photo were there for a Backstreet Boys concert. Another cool thing about staying on the Universal property was the complimentary water taxi that ran between the Hard Rock Hotel and City Walk. We walked the path and took a bike rickshaw a couple of times, but otherwise rode the water taxi.
We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe twice, both times at the end of a long day. The second time Connor fell asleep at the table. Cute!
The Hard Rock Hotel had four restaurants itself.
Everything in Orlando is expensive, but three of the restaurants at the hotel were especially high-end. We ate there one night and splurged on fancy desserts.
This was us at the fountain out front waiting for the car service to take us to the airport. Connor carried his two puppets on the plane - Hedwig the owl and Norbert the baby dragon. Many people asked him about these on the plane and in the airports. He was extremely pleased to explain what they were and where he got them.
This truly was the trip of a lifetime for us. I hope the boys remember it well. We will hopefully be back someday.
2 comments:
That is so awesome Michele. I had to come back and re-read your posts about Harry Potter World so we know what to see when we go. Do you think one day is enough time to see everything there??
Thanks, Stacy. One day might be enough for Islands of Adventure, of which HP is a part. It's not enough if you also want to go to Universal Studios, the sister park right next door. It would also help if you have the Fast Pass ticket, which gets you through the lines quicker. They are worth the cost if time is tight.
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