Universal Studios: Harry Potter Attractions

After we went on the Forbidden Journey ride, there were all kinds of wizarding stores to check into.  What if you wanted a monster book of monsters?  Well, it was there and available.

Looking at all the houses in the village was fun too!  Especially covered in snow as they were, in the middle of Florida 80* weather.  It must be a wizard village!

When we did get hungry, we had to eat at none other than The Three Broomsticks.

You guys, they really spare no expense to make things look real and great and cool, just like they do in the movies!

And the food really was quite delicious.

As far as I know, no one goes up stairs.  But I can just imagine they would make a bazillion dollars if you could actually stay there!

We let the children go into Honeydukes and pick out their own wizard candy for a treat.  My favorites were the fizzing whizzbees (that I had to steal from hubby :) )

So many possibilities!  So many fun things to choose from.

And yummy peppermint chocolate frogs are a good way to round out the day :)

And while we didn't ride on the Howarts Express until later, we had to get a picture in front of it.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was fun to go into, but we didn't let the kids buy anything.  Don't need any of those wizard things going around the house!

The ride through Gringotts was fun too!  Marble everywhere.

The dragon even occasionally spurted fire.  He has to assert himself, ya know?

We also got the chance to meet the Knight bus conductor.

Seriously, this thing was so tall!

Not too bad for all cell phone camera pictures, eh?

Universal Studios: Harry Potter's Castle

That morning we followed the same routine we did for Disneyworld.  We ate breakfast in the car on the way to the park, ready to be there about 30 minutes before the park opened.  Universal parking was different than Disney and getting into the park I felt like was a tiny bit more rigorous.  But once we were in, everything was fine.  And we paused for a picture.

We planned for one entire day to be spent in the two parts of Harry Potter world (Hogsmead and Diagon Alley).  We also needed a picture in front of the wizarding world!  Everybody knows, if you don't take a picture, then amazing things don't happen.

First, we headed to the ride through the Hogwart's castle.  

You guys!!!  The details at this place!!!  They are amazing!  It really just makes you believe and want to be a wizard.  I totally geeked out here!  It was so great!

The tour book suggested that you take your time going through the lines.  Even letting people pass you so you didn't miss all the details and effort they put into making the castle realistic.

Looking back, I wish I had gone slower.  I was so interested in the ride, and so in "amusement park line mindset" that I think I missed some really neat things.

I did take the time to notice a few things.  And, if I do say so myself, my cell phone didn't do a horrible job of taking pictures :)

Dumbledore's office was pretty intricate and intense :)

And the pensieve?!?!  Just so cool!

The ride was neat, and all the kids were tall enough to ride on it.  But I liked this view from outside too.  The castle is just so great!  And no, Kari is not taller than me.  Close.  So close.  But I still have about 1/4 of an inch on her, and I will hold onto that lead until it is available.

And you can't forget Hagrid's hut!  Its an important part of the stories too!

I'm telling you guys!  It was such a geeky experience.  I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Disney Rest Day

Aaaaaaaand, that wraps up the Disneyworld trip.  But that's not it for our trip to Florida.  Oh no!  We have Universal Studios to cover!!!

But we took a day off to rest in between.  I cannot stress this enough: TAKE TIME OFF!  We intended to have a half day built in there, but were too interested in the park to leave.  It left us tired and sore.  The day off was much needed, but, honestly, we could have used two or three days off.  I'm telling you, don't plan more than 2 days in a row.  Its a killer.

On our day off we slept in a bit, and then headed to brunch at IHOP!

Where the menfolk schooled Dylan on the arts of the tic tac toe.  There are strategies man!

That afternoon we made everyone take much needed naps.  This is how I found Kelsey.  Disneyworld-ing is hard!

The kids watched movies and swam in the pool that was in the backyard of the house we rented (one of the main reasons we wanted a house instead of a hotel).  

And then.... it was onto more fun!

Memory Maker: Jedi Training

I know I have already posted my cell phone pictures of this particular activity (special thanks to Uncle Map for the suggestion), but these are the professional pictures from the activity.  I think they are pretty great :)

Disney Core Characters

So I took a 3 week trip across the United States.  We got home on Thursday, did laundry and went to church, and left Tuesday to tag along on a business trip to Florida.  We have lived in our car for the last month!  And that may be good news since the closing of our new house has pushed back by a month and we may be homeless....  Yay.  

Back to Disney!!!

Not something we had originally planned, but getting autographs and pictures with the characters became important for the kids.  And as luck would have it, one day during our lunch in Epcot, there was a surprise character bonanza, and the kids got several of the core Disney characters to pose with them and sign autographs :)

Chip and Dale

Goofy

Pluto (kinda love this pose)

Minnie Mouse

And Mickey Mouse!  Of course!

The next day we went to a character meet and greet that was more planned, and the pictures were not from hubby's cell phone but from our Memory Maker package.

Donald Duck

Which meant there were quite a few to pick through.  And....  I'm horrible at picking, so I just share them all :)

Kaitlyn and Kelsey didn't buy autograph books at the same time that Kari did, so there were a few characters that we had to meet again.  Again, this one was professionally taken, and I love how vibrant the colors are :)

Minnie Mouse.  Again.

Daisy Duck

Donald Duck (by this time, Kari opted out since she had these signatures already, to shop for souvenirs)

Goofy

(bummer that the lighting on this one isn't great...  boo professional photographer)

And who can forget the Toy Story group?

Green Army Man

They may not be part of the original core characters, but I think the have worked their way into that group :)  

Buzz and Woody

Who doesn't love a whole bunch of pictures of characters?!?!