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Where are the good spots in Universal to just hang out and pass the time? When I think about disney, I can name places in each of the 4 parks where I am happy to sit and do nothing for long stretches of time. Places where I'd chill and soak up ambience for 30+ mins even if a ride nearby is a walk-on. Relaxing places. What are the equivalent spots in Universal? Like I generally enjoy the Harry Potter areas, but they are always so crowded. Maybe central park in UO and the port of entry at IOA.
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May 27, 2021 16:00
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If it’s not 100 degrees the big grass area by Jimmy Fallon. If it’s hot, the city streets area around the corner towards Harry Potter have some seating and shade. And IoA it’s harder, not as much chill area. The best probably being the splash watching area for Jurassic Park.
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May 27, 2021 16:09
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The water side of Seuss Land is usually quiet. There are also some out of the way walkways behind Me Ship, The Olive but I don't know if there are benches.
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May 27, 2021 16:32
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Bottom Liner posted:If it’s not 100 degrees the big grass area by Jimmy Fallon. If it’s hot, the city streets area around the corner towards Harry Potter have some seating and shade. Yeah the city streets/alley areas are off to the side and not too populated. They were so deserted, my SIL and I did a whole series of photos where we propped up my phone and set the timer. There was nobody back there to judge us for being dummies.
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May 27, 2021 17:20
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I don't know if it's still the case but three years ago no one used to ever really be on the top floors of the jurrasic park discovery center food place
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May 27, 2021 17:23
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The Discovery Center bottom floor was the good A/C Chill spot, but this may be different with the Velocicoaster entrance/exit down there now. Anywhere along the lagoon at Islands is chill/quiet. Popeye area especially, but back side of Marvel along the lagoon or Behind Mythos, or the area by the lagoon at the front entrance. At Studios, the "Central Park" area where they do the nighttime show is quiet during the day, or behind the outdoor bar along the lagoon in the Simpsons/Springfield area. Back behind Richter Burger or the Lombard Seafood restaurant are also quiet. If you need A/C Break the Horror Makeup show is good for that, or Diagon Alley covered section traps a lot of AC as well as Knockturn Alley in Diagon. Also the train station on the Studios side has Mega AC. They do mini fountain shows in the lagoon during the day at studios also at random times. Universal has a lot of quieter off the beaten path sections, and the Popeye area (Sweet Haven) is really well themed with a bunch of neat little things to find there. Can't say much for the rest of Toon Lagoon, though. Atricks fucked around with this message at 21:07 on May 27, 2021 |
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May 27, 2021 20:00
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Lean in a corner in Knockturn Alley and stare wide-eyed at everybody that walks by.
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May 27, 2021 20:43
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There’s a nice spot in Diagonal Alley next to the pet shop that has a bench that no one goes to. It’s a quiet place to sit in shade for a bit.
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May 28, 2021 00:09
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 This stuff just makes me miss the Chase lounge up above AA. I'd always been told just hanging out kind of off toward the Waterworld thing was pretty quiet in between shows.
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May 28, 2021 00:21
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It occurs to me that maybe I havent found these places in Universal because I always cram both parks into one day. And if I did stay on site, I'd have more time to just chillax at the parks. I just cant shake the idea that like, why stay at Universal when I can stay at Disney and spend evenings in Pandora
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May 28, 2021 02:43
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BlueBayou posted:It occurs to me that maybe I havent found these places in Universal because I always cram both parks into one day. And if I did stay on site, I'd have more time to just chillax at the parks. Because Portofino is the best Orlando theme park hotel and you get that super Fastpass that lets you skip to the front of most lines if you stay there. I missed the hell out of that Fastpass this last trip.
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May 28, 2021 04:24
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Silly Burrito posted:Because Portofino is the best Orlando theme park hotel and you get that super Fastpass that lets you skip to the front of most lines if you stay there. yeah Portofino looks soooooo nice next trip is probably for the 50th, which ive already got a hotel booked for. But maybe Portofino for the trip after that....
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May 28, 2021 04:27
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BlueBayou posted:yeah Portofino looks soooooo nice We went back to it for the pizza and walked around last week. Still beautiful and so peaceful. Even though we really liked Dockside, there's no question that we'd go back to Portofino one day, maybe with the kids.
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May 28, 2021 04:32
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I walked around Portofino once and didn't think it was that nice. The exterior looks good from a distance, but up close you see that there's a lot of open concrete. Inside, the theming reminded me of like, a themed mall. Disney's deluxe and some moderate resorts are much better, IMO.
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May 28, 2021 04:42
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We stayed at The Grand Floridian for a night this week for my wife's cast member complimentary stay. It was nice I guess, but didn't really seem any better than the moderate resorts we'd stayed at before. Coronado and Port Orleans especially I'd say are better than The Grand. She didn't get a choice on resort and we were excited but kinda let down. Nothing was wrong, just felt dull compared to other deluxe level resorts. On the flipside, our cousins had a lot of DVC points to use and went all out and are currently in a Bungalow at the Poly and hoooooly poo poo those rule. We hung there tonight and that's one of the best hotel suites I've seen.
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May 28, 2021 04:58
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:I walked around Portofino once and didn't think it was that nice. The exterior looks good from a distance, but up close you see that there's a lot of open concrete. Inside, the theming reminded me of like, a themed mall. Disney's deluxe and some moderate resorts are much better, IMO. To each his/her own, for sure. While I enjoyed the whole look of it, the best thing about Portofino was our actual room. The bed was extremely comfortable, the room was nice and spacious, the bathrooms were nice, and it just felt deluxe to me. The only deluxe level hotel I've stayed at in Disney is the Club level Polynesian, and while it was nice, I honestly preferred the AoA suites to it. Again, there is no right or wrong answer, just whatever works for you. 
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May 28, 2021 05:22
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Bottom Liner posted:We stayed at The Grand Floridian for a night this week for my wife's cast member complimentary stay. It was nice I guess, but didn't really seem any better than the moderate resorts we'd stayed at before. Coronado and Port Orleans especially I'd say are better than The Grand. She didn't get a choice on resort and we were excited but kinda let down. Nothing was wrong, just felt dull compared to other deluxe level resorts. I've always been baffled by anyone who loves Grand Floridian. Theming is so light and boring
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May 28, 2021 12:42
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The Grand Floridian Cafe, Narcoosee's, and V&A are all pretty good, and that bar upstairs was nice
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May 28, 2021 13:31
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It's not 100% confirmed (aka no public announcement from Universal so this may just be an out of control internal rumor), but looks like Universal is dropping indoor masks starting tomorrow. (I'd imagine Disney will follow almost immediately, SeaWorld is already doing this) I know the airport's passenger numbers this Memorial weekend is actually higher than it was in 2019 for the same weekend, so it's going to be nuts, and this may go through the whole summer. Really sucks at Disney since not everything is back up yet (Shows!). Atricks fucked around with this message at 15:23 on May 28, 2021 |
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May 28, 2021 13:42
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Atricks posted:It's not 100% confirmed (aka no public announcement from Universal), but looks like Universal is dropping indoor masks starting tomorrow. (I'd imagine Disney will follow almost immediately, SeaWorld is already doing this)  while keeping that "if you come here and die it's on you" banner on the front page intact, no doubt.E: I'd heard before July 4th but I hadn't heard memorial day weekend. I'd heard more like a week or two after because of the guest surge. Doesn't matter for me so much because I'm not going until both of my hospice dogs are gone but wow boy howdy the second they loving are and my brain is garbage I'm going to go bury my head in the Haunted Mansion pet graveyard and scream about it for a while. (*maybe actually, I don't know) Fluffy Bunnies fucked around with this message at 14:09 on May 28, 2021 |
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May 28, 2021 14:05
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alg posted:The Grand Floridian Cafe, Narcoosee's, and V&A are all pretty good, and that bar upstairs was nice Mizner's was good, but it was also part of the "every bar must have the same menu of drinks" problem that existed before they started actually giving a poo poo. Enchanted Rose may not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of theming, and definitely doesn't make sense in that hotel (a French-themed movie in the Grand Floridian?), but I love that it's unique. Same with Dahlia Lounge at Coronado Springs.
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May 28, 2021 15:25
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Bottom Liner posted:On the flipside, our cousins had a lot of DVC points to use and went all out and are currently in a Bungalow at the Poly and hoooooly poo poo those rule. We hung there tonight and that's one of the best hotel suites I've seen. Every time we pass by those on the ferry I look at them and sadly think about how I'll never be bonkers rich enough to stay there
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May 28, 2021 16:03
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 loving theme parks. it's official at universal. people just can't wait until this thing fucks off a little more.
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May 28, 2021 17:34
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couldcareless posted:I've always been baffled by anyone who loves Grand Floridian. Theming is so light and boring It has nice touches where it counts, but generally a high end Disney hotel keeps it light with the theming. Disneyland Hotel went through a lot of years before Trader Sam's, and as the resort's biggest wedding maker you want a property that offers fantasy without aggressive whimsy. Also when I was in San Diego I saw Hotel del Coronado and immediately said "hey it's the Grand Floridian" so it must be doing something right. (Got to say that I am not a fan of the DVC building, though. The size of it combined with the large blank sidings really throws things off.) My only problem with the GF is that Vegas ruined my expectations. I walked in thinking "ah yes the Bellagio of Disney World" and what I got was more like one of the nicer properties downtown. Craptacular! fucked around with this message at 17:55 on May 28, 2021 |
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May 28, 2021 17:51
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Like what's even the point if the park is still running in Covid mode? So what, I don't have to have a piece of cloth over my mouth that I forget I'm wearing after ten minutes anyway? Who cares? Bring back Lion King and the fireworks and reopen the god drat Smiling Crocodile  (yes I know Smiling Crocodile was closed half the time before the pandemic but I had a salmon BLT flatbread from there one time that was ridiculous and I want it back)
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May 28, 2021 18:00
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Hazo posted:Like what's even the point if the park is still running in Covid mode? So what, I don't have to have a piece of cloth over my mouth that I forget I'm wearing after ten minutes anyway? Who cares? Bring back Lion King and the fireworks and reopen the god drat Smiling Crocodile :bagawd: Excuse me, tortuga not croc. Universal really should drop the anti-funeral thing and just embrace it if they're gonna be a part of it. Disney, too. E: Legitimate post, not shooting. Can yall imagine how expensive limited edition Haunted Mansion cremation urns would go for?
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May 28, 2021 18:02
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couldcareless posted:I've always been baffled by anyone who loves Grand Floridian. Theming is so light and boring They put me up on a concierge floor for one of my trips. Nice room, the foyer was bigger than the bedroom of my first apartment. Feel the same way about the theming, feels too stuffy for Disney. Give me DAK, Poly or Wilderness Lodge over that any day.
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May 28, 2021 18:24
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I just want GF to get their room refurb over with finally. I like the villas side but the hotel side rooms are pretty dated. I’m calling it at 830p today when Disney updates their mask policy today - based on how the last time went.
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May 28, 2021 19:13
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Anya posted:I just want GF to get their room refurb over with finally. I like the villas side but the hotel side rooms are pretty dated. it'll be today or tomorrow. it's already confirmed.
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May 28, 2021 22:30
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VaultAggie posted:There’s a nice spot in Diagonal Alley next to the pet shop that has a bench that no one goes to. It’s a quiet place to sit in shade for a bit. Seconded. We sat here and had our ice cream and nobody bothered us.
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May 28, 2021 23:57
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My wife and I are planning a September trip for a few days and trying to nail down the right week to go. We’re thinking right after Labor Day since we avoid the crowds for that weekend and it’s far enough ahead of the 50th celebration in October that it won’t be too crowded. Not sure how much of that is wishful thinking though…
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Jun 1, 2021 20:07
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Sacred Cow posted:My wife and I are planning a September trip for a few days and trying to nail down the right week to go. We’re thinking right after Labor Day since we avoid the crowds for that weekend and it’s far enough ahead of the 50th celebration in October that it won’t be too crowded. Not sure how much of that is wishful thinking though… I would try to target the week of the 12th or 19th if lower crowds are your primary objective. Weekends are going to be busy, but weekdays will be pretty light. Honestly though, no one has a clue how crowds are going to be. There's some serious pent up demand right now, and crowd levels may not stick to the usual patterns.
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Jun 1, 2021 20:34
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skipdogg posted:I would try to target the week of the 12th or 19th if lower crowds are your primary objective. Weekends are going to be busy, but weekdays will be pretty light. This is the truth. People are ready to get the hell out.
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Jun 1, 2021 20:41
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skipdogg posted:I would try to target the week of the 12th or 19th if lower crowds are your primary objective. Weekends are going to be busy, but weekdays will be pretty light. 9th - 12th was our first pick so that seems about right. We’re not expecting anything crazy like 15 minute wait for Mine cart, but as long as it’s not elbow to elbow crowds we’ll be good. Silly Burrito posted:This is the truth. People are ready to get the hell out. We were supposed to go last May and November and have been more the ready to make up those missed trips. Decided just this weekend that we’re feeling comfortable enough to travel so gently caress it let’s go.
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Jun 1, 2021 21:02
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Yeah, ever since early March Orlando has had a much higher amount of tourists than an average normal year for the same time. I anticipate this being the worst and busiest summer here possibly ever, and there's no real way to predict the rest of the year either because everything is thrown off. It doesn't help that before COVID the concept of a "slow season" didn't really exist anymore. It used to be that January, February, September, and October were more or less guaranteed light crowds. Growing up my family and I always came during these times and rarely ever experienced long waits. These days, pre-covid, you might get a slow week here or there but it's a crapshoot, and the weekends are still crazy. Another one is the first two weeks of December. Historically the parks would be a ghost town at this time but now they're really busy. Part of it is the internet allowing everyone to know the "lightest" times and booking around that information, and another part of it is Disney perfected their marketing to kind of even out the crowds throughout the year and as well as fill in the light periods. The only tips that I feel really apply anymore are: - avoid any week where any large portion of the country is off from school - avoid any week with a holiday. not just major holidays but minor ones like labor day and memorial day. You'd be surprised how much just that ONE day can cause a flux of tourists for an entire week around it. - if you can, avoid weekends, and especially avoid Saturday like the plague. Saturdays in the Orlando parks are absolute hell and I will never, ever set foot in one on a Saturday. - Only vacation in Mid-November through the end of April if you want the highest change of lower humidity.
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Jun 1, 2021 21:21
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All of that it definitely solid advice. I will add another thing, and I foresee this getting much worse in the future*, is even though the number of people visiting at the parks are lower, WDW has gotten really good at adjusting staffing and ride capacity in the parks. The bean counters have gotten really good at workforce management, and I'm sure there's a whole team of people dedicated to finding out just how long they can make someone wait before it negatively impacts their enjoyment of the park. Gone are the days of BTM being a walk on or 5 minute wait. They'll just shut down one side of the track, or run 3 out of 5 trains instead resulting in a 30 minute wait. The omnimover rides like Buzz and Haunted Mansion you can't really do that with, but they can and do pull capacity out of other rides when things are slower. It still makes it much easier to move around the parks when crowds are lighter though, so that's still a plus. * There is speculation that Disney is going to keep the park reservation system permanently in order to better balance the crowds across the parks and get even more accurate data for staffing projections. I've only been visiting WDW since 2015, but there have been some major changes that honestly I haven't been a fan of. Increased hard ticket events, reduced park hours, modifying staffing levels to create artificial waits, all things I'm not a fan of lately. It hasn't been bad enough to get me to stop going, but I will say I've definitely changed how I visit the parks, and my spending habits there. Right now I don't really care about crowd levels when I visit. I'd prefer to visit during good weather, and when the parks are open longer hours. Generally that's been Mardi Gras/Spring Break times.
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Jun 1, 2021 21:40
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:Yeah, ever since early March Orlando has had a much higher amount of tourists than an average normal year for the same time. I anticipate this being the worst and busiest summer here possibly ever, and there's no real way to predict the rest of the year either because everything is thrown off. Where are you getting that info from? Not doubting you, just curious.
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Jun 1, 2021 21:42
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skipdogg posted:
All of that is annoying, but one of the newest pet peeves is the fact that you now have to pay to park even at their own hotels. There's a lot of nickel and diming going on, but that parking fee makes me not want to stay on their properties especially since we rarely do the extra magic hours anyway. I am overruled though. 
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Jun 1, 2021 21:49
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The other thing about visiting in September that I don't think anyone has mentioned it is that it stands a very real chance of being hotter than satan's butthole. It can get incredibly hot and sticky. There are plenty of places in the US with similar weather, but if you haven't experienced the joy of 90 degrees and heavy humidity, it will make you want to die for a bit.
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Jun 1, 2021 22:02
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Silly Burrito posted:All of that is annoying, but one of the newest pet peeves is the fact that you now have to pay to park even at their own hotels. There's a lot of nickel and diming going on, but that parking fee makes me not want to stay on their properties especially since we rarely do the extra magic hours anyway. I am overruled though. That reminds me about them killing off the Magical Express, which now is going to add hundreds of dollars of transportation costs, that were included before. I'm glad my kids are finally out of car seats. Now I'm torn between renting a car, or dealing with rideshare/taxi/future Mears options. I guess I consider myself fortunate that I don't have to pay for parking if I'm staying on DVC points, since that's part of our dues. Boxman posted:The other thing about visiting in September that I don't think anyone has mentioned it is that it stands a very real chance of being hotter than satan's butthole. It can get incredibly hot and sticky. There are plenty of places in the US with similar weather, but if you haven't experienced the joy of 90 degrees and heavy humidity, it will make you want to die for a bit. Can confirm. I've visited late September, and early October, and it's really hot. You can prepare for it though. We always take a mid day break and chill in the room between like 2:30 to 5:30 give or take an hour on each end. Bring tons of water, wear the proper clothes, adjust the touring plan for the heat. It's doable. My dumbass is going in June 2022 for our next trip... skipdogg fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Jun 1, 2021 |
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Jun 1, 2021 22:04
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