Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Universal Orlando (Part Three) Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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IMG_20141112_100014560_HDRMy favorite part of Universal Orlando was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It felt like stepping right out of the Muggle world and right into the books and movies. I loved it! And to get in the spirit of things, I had to dress the part, too. My friend Aubri made this Marauder’s Map shirt for me.

IMG_20141112_084952190 (2)The Harry Potter part of Universal Orlando is split between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. So you’ll need either a park-to-park pass, or two days with single park passes to see both parts (park-to-park is necessary if you want to ride Hogwarts Express, and you can just upgrade from a single park pass to the park-to-park for one day only if you want to). Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle are in Islands of Adventure; and this is the original portion. Diagon Alley is found in Universal Studios, and this is the portion that opened in 2014.

IMG_20141112_090403614The Hogwarts Express runs between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and can be boarded in both locations. I definitely recommend riding it both ways, as the ‘show’ is different depending on whether you are riding to Hogwarts at the start of term, or riding back to London at the conclusion of term. Additionally, boarding in London, and getting to view Kings Cross Station is pretty impressive in the attention to detail. You also get to run through the brick wall (and watch others do the same) to Platform 9¾ when you board at Kings Cross Station. It’s quite ingenious how it works, but remember to take your time watching others run through the brick wall before your turn. You’ll be glad you did.

IMG_20141112_090648599 (2)Mike and I both enjoyed Diagon Alley more than Hogsmeade, and I think it’s because there is more to see. However, for true HP nerds like myself, it’s worth it to spend time just wandering around both sections paying attention to the details. When you do, you’ll find tons of clever little signs and mechanized things to look at. Sitting atop Gringotts Bank is the dragon rescued by Harry, Hermoine, and Ron. It does breathe fire, so make sure you don’t miss that. And that’s just one large example of the many things to see.

DSCN2228 (2)We also found Sirius’s motorcycle (see above) and a mermaid statue from the movie. Walking through the shops (even if you don’t plan to purchase anything) is worth it, as there are neat displays that make you feel like you’re in a magical world, in addition to all of the merchandise.

Shows

If you have kids, you’ll want to invest in the interactive wand. They come with a map, and there are several locations where the child can perform spells to cause candles to light, see troll ballet, and even make it rain. If you opt to not purchase the interactive wand, there are always plenty of children around with the interactive wands, so you can watch for kids performing spells around the parks.

Speaking of wands, I recommend going to Ollivander’s Wand Shop in Diagon Alley rather than in Hogsmeade. This is more authentic to the books and movies, as that’s where the characters purchased their wands. There was also a long line at Ollivander’s in Hogsmeade, and often no line or a short line at Ollivander’s in Diagon Alley. The show is pretty fun to watch, even if you don’t get selected for the wand ceremony, so I recommend taking the time to go to it.

DSCN2233In both areas of HP there are many shows to catch, in addition to the wand ceremony. We saw ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ from ‘Tales of Beedle the Bard’ in Diagon Alley. It’s a puppet and theatre show, and was excellent. We saw the Frog Choir in Hogsmeade, which is a choir that includes, you guessed it, frogs. We also caught the Triwizard Spirit Rally in Hogsmeade, which is a demonstration from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. I recommend catching some of the shows, as they really make it feel authentic, and are quite good.

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Food and Beverages

We ate lunch at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley one day. The food was authentic British food. Mike had fish and chips. I tried the Beef and Lamb Guinness Stew. The food was okay, but nothing special. We also tried Pumpkin Juice, and didn’t particularly care for it.

IMG_20141109_102729777 (2)However, we did drink many glasses of Butterbeer throughout our time in the parks, and IT WAS AWESOME! We tried the frozen Butterbeer and the regular Butterbeer. Both were good, but we preferred the regular. The best way I can describe it is thick cream soda with butterscotch cream on top. It’s truly delicious. [Edit: the parks now have hot Butterbeer also. I’ve tried it on a subsequent trip, and liked it. But the regular cold Butterbear is still my favorite.]

Rides

IMG_20141109_090239_482 (2)In Diagon Alley, there is really only one ride, but it is impressive. Escape from Gringotts Bank is a 3D rollercoaster ride, and so much fun! I really think this was my favorite ride of all of the rides at Universal Orlando. We didn’t find the line to be all that long, and in fact some places I would have been fine with it moving a little slower, as I really wanted to gawk a little more. While waiting in line, you get to see the goblins at work (and the animatronics are quite realistic), tour the underground vaults, as well as meet Bill Weasley. I loved every second!

Hogsmeade has several rides. Dragon Challenge consists of two roller coasters. We went on both and really enjoyed them. When you go through the lines for these, you do get to see the Triwizard Cup, and some other artifacts, which I thought was neat! Flight of the Hippogriff is also a rollercoaster, but is quite tame. Even if you’re not a big fan of roller coasters, this one is probably tolerable. Plus, it’s the only way to see Buckbeak (and nerdy me recommends bowing to him).  🙂  Hagrid’s house is also visible from line to the ride.

IMG_20141111_105338598Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is located in Hogwarts Castle. Again with this ride, as with many of the others, there are many things to look at while waiting in line, so going through the line (even if not riding) is recommended. I saw talking and moving portraits and the house points hourglasses. And on your way out of the ride, you can walk through Filch’s Emporium of confiscated items. The ride itself is 3D and rollercoaster, and gives the sensation of flying. It was Mike’s favorite ride of all.

London

DSCN2239In the London portion of HP, which is outside Diagon Alley, you can check out the Knight Bus and talk to the conductor and shrunken head. You can also find Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. And if you look carefully, you might even catch a glimpse of Kreacher. There is also a telephone booth, where you can reach the Ministry of Magic.

DSCN2243 (2)Overall, there really is magic around every corner of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I loved every second of my time in the magical world. Now if only I had a Time Turner, so that I could go back and visit again…

 

In case you missed them, check out Part One and Part Two of my series on Universal Orlando.

Universal Orlando (Part Two)

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Universal Orlando has three separate sections: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk. You enter Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (which both require park passes) through City Walk (which does not require a park pass).

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City Walk

City Walk has all kinds of restaurants, bars and shops. Cabana Bay’s shuttles run until 2am, so going back and forth between the hotel and the City Walk for dinner or drinks is a perfect option. We ate at Red Oven Pizza Bakery and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, located in City Walk, and both were fantastic. The night we tried Red Oven, we were fortunate enough to sit outside and watch people stream out of the parks, while enjoying the fantastic pizza. Margaritaville boasts such a fun atmosphere and delicious drinks, that you can’t go wrong.

For breakfast, we didn’t see many options besides Cinnabon. And we definitely did partake one morning! But it would have been nice to see a few healthier and lighter options as well. We were thankful that we had packed granola bars for breakfast for most mornings.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is set up with different sections mimicking city streets, including old town New York and London. It feels very much like walking through movie sets, which is surreal and fun.

This park has one large roller coaster, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. During the roller coaster ride, you get to choose what music you want to listen to. I picked “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band. It was awesome! But if that’s not really your taste in music, there are options in all genres.

We also rode the Men In Black, Simpsons, E.T., Despicable Me, and The Mummy rides. For the most part they were really fun. The Simpsons and Despicable Me rides were 3D. The rest were traditional rides, but not rollercoasters. The Mummy ride was surprisingly good, and had fantastic effects. The Simpsons and Despicable Me rides were really hilarious.

DSCN2247The one ride that we didn’t enjoy at all was the E.T. ride. Its effects are outdated, the ride is slow, the bikes are uncomfortable, and the ride is just lame. It’s sad, because I loved the movie and wanted to like the ride, but just didn’t. I don’t think that we were alone in disliking this ride. I overheard a boy telling his dad on the way out that it was the worst ride that he’d been on. [Edit: I don’t think this ride even exists anymore.]

My favorite rides were The Mummy, Despicable Me, and Simpsons.

DSCN2244I also really enjoyed just wandering around in the Springfield section of the park. We of course had to pop into Moe’s, try Lard Lad Donuts (you know, the ones with sprinkles and pink frosting), and take pictures with all of the characters.

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Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure is a circular park. You enter through the Port of Entry, which is like a medieval style island port. After you walk through the Port of Entry you can either go right or left. If you go left, you walk through Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmeade), The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing, and then back to the Port of Entry. If you go to the right when you enter the park, you visit these in reverse order.

DSCN2259Islands of Adventure has one large rollercoaster, The Incredible Hulk. I rode it once, and that was plenty for me. It’s by far the most intense coaster I’ve ever been on. Mike rode it twice.

DSCN2255Marvel Superhero Island also has the Doctor Doom Fear Fall. Falling is one sensation that I just don’t handle well, so I did a bit of souvenir shopping while Mike went on this ride.

DSCN2258The Spiderman ride (which is a 3D ride) had fantastic effects, and walking in to this ride really made you feel like you were walking into a comic book. The Marvel portion of the park also had many superheroes posing for pictures, so make sure you have your camera ready!

IMG_20141110_105347792Toon Lagoon was just good old-fashioned fun. It’s based on the Sunday newspaper comics, and the rides (mostly water rides) were a hoot! Jurassic Park also has a really great water ride. We rode most of the water rides twice because the lines weren’t very long and we enjoyed them so much. See my previous post for tips on enjoying the water rides.

DSCN2262Seuss Landing is geared toward younger kids, but I liked it nonetheless. It took me back to my childhood to Green Eggs and Ham, Red Fish Blue Fish, and Cat in the Hat, as these were all books that I’d read and loved in my youth. Worth a walk through for all ages, although it is much more geared toward younger children. And I do recommend the Cat in the Hat ride, even though it’s a little tamer, because you get to hear and see the whole story.

The Lost Continent has one big show. It was really quite impressive! I was surprised a number of times throughout. But do note this is not a ride, but rather a show that you move through and watch. The Lost Continent also has a number of shops and restaurants. And don’t miss the fountain located near the restrooms. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but we were entertained for quite a little while.DSCN2261

Check out Part Three of my series on Universal Orlando, where I walk you through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

And if you missed it, also check out Part One, where I talk about Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and other great tips for visiting Universal Orlando.

Universal Orlando (Part One)

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DSCN2254Mike and I visited Universal Orlando in November 2014 for four days. Universal Orlando actually consists of two separate theme parks–Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You need either a park-to-park pass or a single park pass to enter these portions of Universal Orlando. We opted for the single park passes for the first three days and the park-to-park passes for the final day. Hogwarts Express is the only ride that requires a park-to-park pass, and we thought it was worth the extra cost, at least for one day. If you are visiting Universal for only a couple of days, you may want to spend the extra money so that you can ride all of your favorite rides. But since we had four whole days, we had plenty of time to explore each of the parks, making the single park passes a better value.

We opted to stay in a Universal hotel so that we could get into the parks an hour earlier in the morning. I could see this being a huge benefit if you visit during peak times, as the lines would be much longer. But we actually found the wait times to be very short, varying between 5 and 35 minutes typically. I think the only wait longer was for either the Rock It roller coaster or the Hulk roller coaster, and it would have only been about 45 minutes. For the most part, the waits were quite entertaining, as they include props and videos that make you really feel like you’re on location.

The other major benefit of the Universal resorts is the free transportation to the Universal parks. It was really nice to be dropped off at the entrance to the park, and not have to worry about parking or finding our way around. We stayed at Cabana Bay, so the buses were very easy to spot, and there were waiting areas for the buses, and we never waited more than about 5 minutes for a bus to pick us up. I also thought that the faux wood-paneled buses also fit right in with the resort’s theme.

IMG_20141109_190654456The Cabana Bay Beach Resort has a really funky fun atmosphere that is carried throughout the resort. From the neon lighted sign advertising ‘Color TV’ and ‘Cold Air’, to the hotel room decor, the resort captures the essence of 50s-60s era travel. Think Mad Men with a lot of fun and funk, and you’ll be able to picture it. The pool, lazy river, fire pits, and bowling alley provide entertainment for the whole family. And the bars have some really tasty cocktails with clever names, like The Pink Cadillac, for the adults. I heard a couple of people say that Cabana Bay seemed like a family hotel, and it definitely is, but I also thought that it was a lot of fun for grown-ups too.

DSCN2208The weather in Orlando was in 70s and mostly sunny for our entire trip. Make sure you bring comfortable shoes, and a couple of different styles so that you can alternate, as you’ll do a ton of walking. Shorts, capris, t-shirts, and tank tops are appropriate in the parks, and what most people wore. You have to remove hats on several rides, so take that into consideration. If you have backpacks or purses, you’ll also have to remove these for many rides. I just had a small cross-body bag, which was small enough to keep in some of the rides, and easily fit into the free lockers as well.

We had a bit of rain (more like a light mist) one day, and rain is apparently rather common, so ponchos may be a good idea to pack. They’d be beneficial on the water rides too.We didn’t take ponchos, so on the day we did the water rides (which we strategically left all for one day), we just wore things that wouldn’t be uncomfortable wet. Mike wore a workout shirt that wicks away moisture and some beach/board shorts that dry quickly and flip-flops. I wore workout shorts and a tank top over my swimsuit with my water shoes. Because we’d planned to get wet, the water rides were that much more fun. Some people who were just wearing street clothes (and in particular jeans) looked a little bit miserable after they’d gotten soaked.

Check out Universal Orlando Part Two where I talk about the three parts of the park, the rides, and the can’t miss attractions, and Part Three where I talk specifically about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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