Moms Minivan Blog » Fun Trips

Rolling Reviews from the Backseat – Dr Doom’s Fear Fall

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:42:40 +0000

Road Trip review from Big Bro, one of Road Trip Mom’s kids!

The most thrilling ride for me at the Universal Studios Theme Park was in the Islands of Adventure park, and it is called Dr. Doom’s Fear Fall. You enter the ride with your party and are isolated from the other riders. Before the ride begins, a scary voice comes on and tells you that all safety protocol will be ignored. Then shoots you straight up into the air at what seems like a million miles an hour, and as soon as it gets to the top it shoots you downwards faster than gravity can pull you.

I had a great deal of fun trying to convince my younger sisters to go on it with me. They were terrified at first, but after they went on it once they each went four more times. The ride is very intimidating to look at but it is a blast to go on. The lines were also very short when we went with little to no waiting for a seat. The view at the top of the ride is also outstanding, with the whole park in front of you and the beautiful Florida landscape behind you. I highly recommend this ride to anyone who is looking for thrills at this park.

Keep reading for lots of tips on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Studios theme parks.

NOTE FROM ROAD TRIP MOM: This is a review by my road trip son! He’s helping me out with his own backseat opinions on some of our recent travels. Let’s give him a hand!

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Rolling Reviews from the Backseat: Rip Ride Rock-It Rollercoaster

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:39:38 +0000

By The Back Seat Reviewer — Road Trip Mom’s Daughter!

On my recent trip to Universal studios, one of the most thrilling and original rides in the park was the Hollywood Rip Ride Rock-It. This bright red roller coaster covered in dazzling florescent lights could be seen from anywhere in the park. The fun starts the moment you get to the front of the line. Immediately after you sit down and pull your seat belt across your lap, you have 30 seconds to choose a song from a variety of music. Choices range from music by Fergie, to songs like I Will Survive; so everyone can get a song they know. If you don’t pick your song before the ride starts, on is picked for you. The song you picked will play out of speakers by your ears throughout your ride.

Unlike most roller coasters that have a steady incline that brings you to the top of the first hill, the Rock-It saves space with a vertical climb to the top of the park, followed by an equally frightening near-vertical drop. After that comes a series of stomach churning loop de loops and cork screw turns that rip through the park. The whole time your face is being recorded by a camera on the back of the seat in front of you so that when the ride is over, you have an opportunity to view and purchase your own music video. The only problem is that because this is one of the most popular rides in the park, the line gets extremely long and there is no express line, so getting there early is a must. All and all this an amazing ride that anyone who love roller coasters and music should be sure to ride.

Keep reading for lots of tips on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Studios theme parks.

NOTE FROM ROAD TRIP MOM: This is a review by one of my road trip daughters! She and her sister are becoming regulars on my website with their product reviews and backseat opinions.

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Rolling Reviews from the Backseat: Dragon Challenge

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:58:19 +0000

By The Back Seat Reviewer — Road Trip Mom’s Daughter!

Don’t miss the Dragon Challenge Roller Coaster in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. As you walk through the Forbidden Forest trail, past Hagrid’s Hut, Ron’s beat up old car, and visit the Goblet of Fire, you can catch a glimpse of the two dragons. Choose either the red or the blue dragon and strap in! The best seats are either the front half or the very back. Your feet dangle off as you ride your dragon through twists and turns. The scariest part is when you flip upside down and pass within a yard or two of the other dragon and it looks like you’re going to crash with the other roller coaster!

This happens several times and the passengers of each dragon scream! While you are up at the top, you can see the entire park and all of Hogsmeade. This ride is very fun for those who love a wild ride.

Keep reading for lots of tips on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Studios theme parks.

NOTE FROM ROAD TRIP MOM: This is a review by one of my road trip daughters! She and her sister are becoming regulars on my website with their product reviews and backseat opinions.

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All material copyright ©MomsMinivan.com

We Loved Wizard World!

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:38:40 +0000

We did it! We visited Universal Orlando’s two wonderful theme parks which included The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We toured the parks for two and a half days over Thanksgiving weekend 2010, and had a fantastic time. I have to admit that my wonderful travel companions (my three kids) made the trip a joy forever.

We learned a lot during our visit, and I have written up an article full of tips to help other families enjoy their trips there as well. Please check out my full article about Universal Orlando Tips and Advice – A few tips to make your visit to Universal Theme Parks and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter More Enjoyable!

Read the full article here: http://www.momsminivan.com/universal_orlando_tips.html

Also see the review we wrote for Butter Beer from the Wizarding World.

We hope you enjoy the parks as much as we did!

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Oddities Attract

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Stopping for a crazy road side attraction is something we love to do on a long car trip. Take a break and give yourselves something to talk about for the next leg of your journey. I’ll tell you where to find these amusing sights and how to make the most of your stops…

Read the entire article and see some of the crazy road side photos I’ve taken with my family at Oddities Attract – Side tracks Remind You that Half the Fun Is Getting There.

What weird roadside things have you seen lately?!

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Paying it Forward

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:43:02 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fun trips for kids is what I’m all about, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to share this tip with my readers. Lunchables is sponsoring an initiative called Project Potential with a contest called Field Trips For All where they will be giving away 50 class field trips to classrooms of deserving kids around the country. Their aim is to help children grow toward their full potential and have experiences that they might not otherwise get to have. Anyone who is at least 6 years old can enter and nominate a class.

Field trips can really enhance children’s learning experiences outside the classroom. But with money being so tight lately, field trips are almost always one of the first things trimmed from school budgets. So here’s a chance to give back!

My own children have seen some commercials on TV for this contest recently and were excited to see me writing about it. Naturally they wanted me to nominate their classes! And, I have to admit, that was my first thought as well.

However, after a little bit of consideration, I realized that my children are very fortunate to have access to many school field trips during the year. Their schools have very involved parents for the most part, and the financial means to make them happen. I’ve certainly chaperoned my fair share of class field trips.

So, I have decided to nominate a classroom that has a lot of special meaning for me. Many of my readers already know that I am a former teacher. For several years, I taught science at a public school in Memphis, TN. It is a school that struggles hard, and full of students who don’t have the financial means to afford luxuries like class trips. Still, I really enjoyed my time there and loved giving of myself to my classes. My students were so full of potential, and they had to really struggle if they were going to reach it.

So — I’m going to nominate my former classroom! I want the current science teacher at Sheffield Junior/Sr High School in Memphis, TN to win a field trip! I have never met the teacher who has my old job, but I know the students there, and no one deserves a class field trip more than they do.

Now, I don’t know if my former students will be as wide-eyed as the 5th graders on this field trip in the following video, but I know they would still relish the opportunity to get some field experiences.

Do you know a classroom who would deserve this opportunity? Please help me spread the word about this opportunity, and maybe even leave a comment below about who you would like to nominate. Do good!

Holden Beach, NC

Road Trip Mom — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:53:40 +0000

One of our favorite places.

Multimedia message – Bonnaroo Bound!

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Moms’ weekend getaway with friends. In the car line for Bonnaroo! 40 license plates so far!

Fifteen Pounds of Coleslaw, Anyone?

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:08:00 +0000

My daughter brought home a tiny cabbage seedling from school last year with three little leaves on it. I tend to have a bad effect on plants, especially ones in pots. And due to my natural black-thumb, I never expected it to live, which is why I allowed her to plant it in the front yard. Amazingly it lived and the rabbits didn’t eat it. It grew to 15 pounds. At some point, I think we were supposed to enter it into some kind of 3rd grade contest, but it didn’t start getting really large until just recently, and now summer has gone by and 4th grade has started. So we are eating it instead.

After doing some research, I found that these cabbages can get up to 40 pounds or more. Still, 15 pounds for a cabbage is pretty impressive by ordinary standards.

This giant vegetable reminded me of the titanic pumpkins that grow in Half Moon Bay, CA where they hold a pumpkin festival every year. Those are definitely something special and a really fun event for kids.

Meanwhile, as you contemplate all of these monster vegetables, we’ll be busy eating an extraordinary amount of coleslaw. Cheers!

Where to Find Road Side Attractions

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:00:00 +0000

My blogging pals are on Day-3 of their cross country road trip to the Blogher conference in San Francisco. They are heading across Nebraska today on their way to Denver, and it’s a long dry stretch.I have been checking out roadside attractions for them to squeeze in between all their tv interviews.

Road Side America is a great web site resource to help you find something amusing along the road to make your trip more interesting. Just enter the state you’ll be traveling through, and you’ll get a map with all the local attractions marked on it. Yesterday I told them to watch for the giant smiley face water tower at exit 76 in Iowa. Today, the Nebraska map produced lots of options, and I managed to find an eccentric little place for them to have lunch – Ole’s Steakhouse and Big Game Lounge. I am looking forward to a report. … and a photo of my pals in front of a giant polar bear or elephant.

If you don’t have internet access along your drive like they do (they are such techie goddesses), it’s no problem because there is a wonderful book: New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler’s Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America’s Tourist.

I just got back from a 1200 mile road trip myself, but looking at all the fun stuff to do in other states makes me crave the road again. No worries though, I am heading out again shortly for another pirate adventure … stay tuned…

UPDATE: They made it to the steakhouse and game lounge. Read all about it.