Universal 2020: Day 5

If you're not familiar, Universal City Walk has a Voodoo Doughnut.  The girls had been eyeing this everyday, so we decided this was the time to check it out.  We gave ourselves enough time for a breakfast stop.

You have to admit this giant chair is very appealing.

They have so many pretty doughnuts to choose from, and they serve them in pink boxes so you know the girls were in heaven.

We had to try the voodoo doughnut, obviously.

We also chose a Reese's style, the dreamsicle, a pineapple summer special, and a more traditional chocolate cruller.

They were all delicious, but honestly not the best doughnuts I've ever had.  They are fun though and the hype is just part of the fun.

When we entered the park this morning, this minion parade float was out front even before the entry archway.

We also took the time this morning to get a picture with Bruce, the shark.  I remember taking a picture here when I was a kid, visiting Universal for the first time.  Of course, there was still a Jaws ride at that time too.  I'm so happy that they kept this shark even though the ride is gone.

You may notice, we were stroller free today.  We decided we were only going to the parks this morning with the plan to come back to the hotel for a midday swim break.  So, we thought we'd give it a try.  I wouldn't want to do it for a full park day, but it was great!

We made our way into Diagon Alley, where LittleCJC wanted her picture everywhere.

I am still amazed at how empty the parks were during this trip.  We did not plan any photos at special times or even think of waiting for people to move out of the shot.  There honestly just weren't any people here.  

This is usually the most crowded area of the entire park.

LittleCJC loved all the window displays and asked for every photo.

When we finally made it up Diagon Alley, we rode Escape from Gringotts.

LittleCGC was entertained by the window display at the ice cream parlor.

We did time one photo, not in regards to people, but the dragon.

Even though we only rode one ride here, we had the idea to attend the first viewing of Poseidon's Fury.  So, we opted to ride the Hogwart's Express over to Island of Adventures.  That meant, we needed to cross platform 9 and 3/4.

LittleCGC was adorable, getting so excited to see the "choo choo" coming.

As usual, LittleCJC wanted to pose yet again when we got off the train.

We made it to Poseidon's Fury with a little sleepy girl.

We had a little wait before the show, but we knew we would get in this time.

To be honest, I didn't really remember this that well, which was part of the reason we wanted to experience it.  I remembered it being really impressive as a kid.  However, this hasn't exactly aged well, which I'm sure is why there are so many rumors floating around about a permit change to this attraction in the near future.  

After the show, we made our way out of the park and back to the hotel.  Yes, it may have been a little early for a swim, but I was still amazed that we had the entire pool to ourselves.

LittleCGC was too cute being totally fearless of the water.  Sorry for the video overload coming up, but I want to always remember how cute she was.

After our swim and some lunch, even possibly a nap, we made our way back to the parks.

Our main focus heading back into the park, was to see the brand new Bourne Stuntacular show.  This show was set to open just as the parks all shut down due to the pandemic.  We didn't know what the girls would think, but Patrick and I were excited to watch this one.  LittleCJC really enjoyed it and LittleCGC was fine except for one scene where a gun fire scared her.  Patrick and I were really impressed with the technology behind this one and we thought everyone in it was great.

After the show, we did a little shopping.  LittleCJC decided she needed a necklace to go with the new earrings that the tooth fairy left her.  So of course, that meant we were back at Diagon Alley.

I'm sure we rode the ride again, as this was LittleCJC's absolute favorite this trip and by 5 days in, we were letting her pretty much decide what we should do.

We then made the healthy choice of ice cream for dinner.  We didn't really want to sit down for a full meal at Toothsome's Chocolate Emporium, and we really didn't want to have to wait for a table.  Thankfully, we learned that if you only want ice cream, they have a separate line for that.  Once inside, we were blown away by our choices.

LittleCJC chose the confetti milkshake that actually came with a slice of cake on top.

Patrick chose the red velvet, served with a giant cupcake, and I went for the expresso buzz, topped with biscotti.  We figured three would be enough for the four of us, so LittleCGC didn't get one of her own.

They were so good, but we were a little confused on how these were considered milkshakes to go.  I mean seriously, how are you suppose to eat this while walking around.  Luckily, there were a few tables on the porch and we were able to sit down with ours.

I know this day was a lot more laid back, but it was really nice slowing down and being able to enjoy some shows and other aspects of Universal that we usually blow past.  It was also a very delicious day.