Ham Ham's August 2008 Trip Report

[Ham Ham]

Hi folks

Sorry about the long absence we were away at Darien Lake in New York, then WDW, then I helped move my 86 year old, mom from Montreal to Guelph.

Finally back home stay tuned for a WDW trip report I hope to have up by the end of the week.

 

[weemcp]

can't wait to hear about it and see pics!

 

[I u diseny]

I looking forward to seeing the pic and hearing about your trip ;D

 

[realfam]

Me too! ; I can't wait to see the pics........................OH, ; by the way are we in them.

We too had a great time down in WDW. ; I'll see if I can post some pics later in the week.

 

[highland3]

Lookimg forward to some light reading! ; Sounds like it was a good time.

 

[mini-canadian]

Can't wait to read all about it!!!

 

[Ham Ham]

Just back from my fifth trip to Guelph this week. My Mothers moving van arrived on Thursday and she is settling in . Must be tough to leave a house you lived in for a few months shy of 40 years and leave the city you've lived in, Montreal, all of your life.

I haven't forgotten about the trip report just other priorities have taken precedent.

Here's an image I snapped of my 86 year old Mother looking out of our back porch just before we left the house for the last time.

 

[mini-canadian]

Aww.....it looks like she is really going to miss her place. ; Guelph is a great city though, my DD is a graduate of UofG and I have a nephew that is a DR. in Guelph, they love living there! ; Hope she settles in alright!

 

[Ham Ham]

I agree with your opinions on Guelph. If only we could live there. Tiny city with a vivbrant downtown area with everything you need only a few minutes drive away. No traffic or other big city congestion.
My DW and I both work in downtown Torranna so the mega commute from Guelph is not an option.
My Mom lives with my sister, DH & DD's 7 & 4 My ; sisters place has a walk out basement and my Mothers bedroom in the basement has two huge windows on different walls. She also has a newly built bathroom that is big and easy for Mom to get in and out of the shower.

 

[Ham Ham]

In prepping for my trip report I came a cross a menu from a local pizza place near WDW we visited.

Flippers is a local pizza chain in Orlando. The Hamettes and I visited the location at the Crossroads minutes from Downtown Disney.

We enjoyed is so much we visited or had take out from Flippers 4 times during our trip in August. Flippers was the culinary high light of our August trip.

This is some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. Not only was the food outstanding the service was even better. The salad, bread sticks, and salads were also divine. Flippers prepares most of its ingredients fresh each day. Fresh dough, fresh vegetables and fresh sauce!

http://www.flipperspizzeria.com/menu.html

Here's a copy of an e-mail I sent to Flippers web site late on a Friday night and received a response with in 12 hours from one of the founders of the restaurant

Please forward this to the head of Flippers Pizza.

My name is Ham Ham along with my wife and 2 daughters 9 & 14 we are vacationing in Walt Disney World until we return home on Monday morning August 25. When ever we travel I endeavor to search out local eating establishments that we do not have back home. Nothing wrong with some of the national chains I just like to experience what the locals eat.

I stumbled across your restaurant when I typed in "best pizza" in google. I navigated over to your web site ; had a look around and decided to try out your location in The Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista 12525 State Road 535, 407.938.933 on Tuesday August 19.

My wife always like to scope out a restaurant from the outside and quickly approved if the look of Flippers. The look from outside was inviting and pleasing to the eye. the choice of furnishings and decor were very welcoming

Upon entering we were greeted by Luke. He sat us down and took our drink orders. Once he returned I asked him if the pizza was good at Flippers? He responded in detail how the company began and how using fresh ingredients and fresh dough provided the best pizza in Florida. He knowledge of the menu allowed him to make excellent suggestions of what to order

We ordered pizza, breadsticks and Salad.

I can honestly say that your food is excellent and amongst some of the best pizza we have ever enjoyed.

I spoke with the manager on duty Jessie (sp?) and informed him of the excellent service and food.

We returned again the next night, August 20 this time served by Chris & Tim. Again a wonderful experience. Not only should you be proud of you food but also your staff. In a world full of disinterested servers it is nice to see the superior customer service skills of the Flippers staff.

On Friday night I asked the girls what they wanted for dinner and they said Flippers. This time I called from our resort and placed a take out order. It was ready when promised, Luke served me at the counter and inquired if I need plates, cutlery etc. Again great customer service and attention to detail.


All too often people in positions like yourself only hear about less than successful visits. I would like to take this opportunity to say hats off to Flippers for its excellent food and staff.

I hope to eat again at Flippers before we return home.

I will proudly recommend Flippers to all of my friends, colleuages and family when visiting the Orlando area.


Thanks

Ham Ham

; ;-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for email. ; I am glad you had a favorable dining experience with us. ; We have been in business for 20 years in the Orlando area and will begin franchising nationwide by year’s end. ; We take great pride in our product and people we employ. ; Thank you ; for dining with us and let us know if we can be of any assistance in your future trips to our area.



Sincerely,

Scott Kousaie

President and Founding Partner

Flippers Pizzeria

 

[Sheila Gallant-Halloran]

Hey there Ham Ham - just scrolling thru some older posts. ; Did you do a trip report? Don't worry if you didn't - just interested in where you stayed and what the best new thing you discovered was, if you have a moment...

 

[Ham Ham]

Sorry for the delay but my trip report is finally here.

We stayed at POP 1 night, SSR 7 nights, OKW 1 night. We were scheduled to spend three nights at the Vero Beach Resort but tropical storm Fay washed away the beach so we decided to stay at WDW.

We went to Universal Studios and Island of Adventure primarily for the Simpsons ride. We weren't disappointed with our Universal experience the ticket price was awesome. 7 day both parks $82.00 USD taxes in per person. I was very impressed with the rides and theming at Universal Orlando.

The hightlight of the trip was not the attraction but having friends to share out time with.
Realfam and his girls spent some time with us at SSR, we went out for dinner and also invited us over when they were staying at AKV. ; I was even able to smuggle Realfam and his oldest daughter into Universal in place of my DW & DD 13.
Also two families from out neighbourhood we are friends with were also down at WDW the same time as us.
Something really nice about being away with friends on holiday.


The majority of the pictures were taken by my DD9 with my iPhone.
Our plane arriving at the gate in Pittsburgh

Here's a sight you don't see often an unsecured cockpit door.

Sunset and moonrise at 30,000 feet.

We checked into our room at POP for one night and suprise! We had someone's luggage from Japan waiting for us. No problem with our luggage as we drove ourselves to WDW from MCO. We call bell services to pick up the misdirected luggage.

Next day first stop was......

Arriving at Universal

We finally made it to Springfield

Smallest Hamette scaling a wall on New York Street

Hollywood Street

New York Street

Optical Illusion?

Hidden Mickey on the headboard at out DVC unit.

Tropical Storm Fay

Visit from the Realfam crew.

Leaving MCO

DD14 friends decorated front door for our return home

 

[Miss Megara]

Great report Ham. ; Can you describe the Simpsons ride? ; I mean is it the same deal as Back to the Future was? ; If so; please tell me that they made the ride much smoother this time around...

 

[Ham Ham]

Since it was our first ; visit to Universal can't compare The Simpsons ride to Back to the Future.
The Simpsons ride is a simulator. Six of you climb into a roller coaster car. The idea is Krusty is demolishing part of his amusement part Krustyland. you along with he Simpsons have been chosen to ride the rails on a double roller coaster at Krusty's theme park. The other set of tracks that run parallel are being knocked down by a demolition crew. You are in the car directly behind the Simpsons. It no where near as intense as Tower of Terror or the Rock'n'Roller Coaster at DHS but no where as smooth and mellow as Soarin' at Epcot

The car you sit in moves, shakes, twists, turns and drops in conjunction with what is being projected on the large screen in-front of you that fills your peripheral vision. Along with some wind, water and odors the ride is great.

The ride is about six minutes long, I timed it with my iPhone, lots of popular characters from the animated series make appearances, a few swipes at other popular theme parks and attractions, IASW in particular, and lots of inside joke that a devoted Simpsons fan will enjoy. DD 9 and I rode it six times during our days at Universal Studios in FLA.

Here's a little bit of trivia Harry Shearer the voice of many Simpson characters, Mr Burns, Mr Smithers, Principal Skinner, Kang, Jasper, Otto, for some reason decided not to participate in supplying his voice talents to the ride. Some of his characters appear but have no speaking parts. This decision by Shearer required the folks designing the ride to alter the original idea of a ride through the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

There's a tip of the hat to Back to the Future with and appearance with brief animated appearance by Doc Brown voiced by Christopher Lloyd who played the infamous Jim Ignatowski from Taxi. Doc Brown appears on one of the many orientation videos you have the chance to view while waiting in line for the Simpsons Ride.

A really great ride but as previously posted I was impressed with Universal Orlando. We preferred Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure, Both thought are worth the visit. With our 7 day passes we could come and go as we pleased ; and weren't forced to be park commandos doing the whole park in one day.

 

[Miss Megara]

Thanks for the report Ham. ; Sorry, I didn't realize that this was your first visit to USO. ; Yep, sounds like The Simpsons is exactly the same ride as Back to the Future. ; Although I'm sure it's been 'kicked up a few notches'.

a few swipes at other popular theme parks and attraactions

This to me is the biggest flaw that Universal has. ; They makes shots at Disney in lots of their shows/attractions. ; Did anyone else notice the Fantasia Mickey hat in MIB or the Mickey baseball cap in Mummy? ; Not to mention the cheap jokes at the Horror show.

I do love Universal; a lot actually. ; My personal favourite ride in all of Orlando is Spiderman. ; However, they really need to stop comparing themselves/taking cheap shots at Disney and simply promote themselves as what they are; a theme park for an older audience. ;

 

[realfam]

Great trip report Hamham and excellent photos! ; It was alot of hooking up with you and the hammettes... ; Mag loved her day at Universal...
Hopefully we can do that again next August,,, ,,,,,
Were all those pics taking from your phone?

 

[Ham Ham]

Were all those pics taking from your phone?

Every picture was taken with the iPhone and most by DD9.

 

[realfam]

Were all those pics taking from your phone?

Every picture was taken with the iPhone and most by DD9.

That's what I thought! ; Your DD certainly is a great little photographer isn't she. ; I think I may have to get one of those iphones in the new year when I'm due for another hardware upgrade from Rogers.

 

[Ham Ham]

If Apple follows the same strategy as last year there should be a new iPhone sometime in February.
Hopefully they'll put in at least a 5MP camera, a flash for the camera, cut and paste support, FLASH for web.

The Blackberry Storm should be out soon here. The folks at RIM added an interesting feature to the virtual keyboard.
When you type there will be a tiny bit of force feed back to give the virtual keyboard a more tactile feel. Looks like there will be no Wifi in the Storm. Don't know what they are smoking in Waterloo but to leave Wifi off this smart phone that is supposed to compete with the iPhone is not to bright of an omission.
RIM official page on the Storm. Comes with 3.2 MP camera with flash. Only 1GB onboard memory but has external micro SD slot.

 

[realfam]

Your right about the Wifi. ; I wont even consider it if it doesn't have the Wifi. ; Feb. is good timing for me since I'm do for a new phone in Jan. ; Hope Apple does release a new version...Toys are always fun to get!