No post last week because I was on vacation! Hence why I am just now liking all your posts from 1-2 weeks ago.
B and I went to Universal and Disney in lovely 65-degree Orlando. I spent more than a decade of my childhood in central Florida, so I’ve been to Disney many many times, but strangely never once to Universal. With the opening of the 2nd Harry Potter area, I figured it was about time.
We spent 3 days at the Universal parks, mostly in the Harry Potter areas. Islands of Adventure has a Hogsmeade area, and Universal Studios has the new Diagon Alley. There’s even a train ride between them (with a slight chance of dementor attacks).
BEST: Warm butterbeer, which you can only get in winter, is fabulous. Regular butterbeer is kinda too sticky-sweet, but the warm stuff…mmmmm. Also good: butterbeer icecream.
WORST: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (the ride inside Hogwarts Castle) is the most nauseating ride I have ever been on, and I’ve ridden every coaster at Cedar Point. Take some Dramamine.
Also great: tons of Harry Potter merch to buy. House robes cost over $100, so I settled for a Ravenclaw T-shirt and “official” scarf. We also bought an awesome afghan with the Hogwarts crest.
Jedi by Knight 
Welcome back—looks like you had an awesome vacation!
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Thanks! It was fun. 🙂
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Ahh I was there in July. I want to go back! 🙂
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Me, too! 😀
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You’re getting me so excited! I’m going to Florida right after the 1st for vacation, and we’re going to spend at least one day at Universal. I was there the day the Harry Potter section first officially opened, and it was insane! It took eight hours to get from the entrance to the back of the park. The crowds were so overwhelming that they pulled out accountants and other not-traditionally-park-monitoring staff out to help with the lines.
It looks like they’d added a lot since I went. I’m tempted to start packing now…
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Enjoy! I would love to go back 🙂
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The cat looks like the same one my family had a few years ago before it passed away. We had her for eighteen years. Love the coat on it!
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Yeah, he has a very interesting look. They really get to be members of the family after so long, don’t they?
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Oh man…I didn’t get warm butterbeer 😦 That is so sad. I wish I could have tried that! And all the new stuff looks really awesome. If I loved the HP area when it was only Hogsmeade, I would probably love it with both. Yes – the ride definitely made me a little sick but it was really fun. I just closed my eyes when I started feeling too sick.
Sounds like you had a great vacation!!
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