First Impressions: Universal Orlando

When I first saw the spires of Universal, my heart fluttered. Colored posters with characters like Shrek, ET, and Spider-Man (the Ultimate version) warmly welcomed me in. I passed several vendors from restaurants like Moe's and Bubba Gump's to a dinky, little cart that had an uncanny X-Men shirt that said "The future is here" and had a wonderfully rendered image of the real "X-Men: First Class."

After passing the large Billabong and Universal Studios stores, I caught a glimpse of Hard Rock Cafe. It looked like a crumbling Roman coliseum with high its high spires separated from me by a dark gulf of water. Mick Jagger would be proud...

Right now (three days ago), I'm lounging and writing in a leather backed chair at the Royal Pacific Hotel. It's a weird mixture of Polynesian and Southeast Asian architectural motifs. Two handsome Buddhas flank the entranceway that is the personification of nirvana. The covers on my bed evoke bamboo reeds, and the window in my room looks out on a beautifully manicured garden.

This is just a teaser for my upcoming blog series on my trip to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Here's the schedule:
Part 1: Marvel Superhero Island
Part 2: Islands of Adventure
Part 3: Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 4: Universal Studios
Part 5: Food

"Excelsior!"- Stan Lee