Aren't Graduations Grand! - May 2015 TR (New 10/30 - MK and California Grill)

[pkondz]

I may have slowed down. A little.

Yeah. You don't want to burn off too much momentum.

Absolutely! We thought the Royal Pacific was REALLY nice! I know the hotel had been recently redone (the soft goods and décor at least - I'm not sure about the bathrooms?), but it was really well decorated. It was still on the pricy side (it's attached to a theme park after all!) but definitely felt higher-end.

Definitely taking notes here...

Other than the unlimited Express Pass, this was the second best perk of the Universal resorts - close to both parks!

Still scribbling notes.....

Back to read the update later.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

(continued from previous post)

A visit to Hogsmeade puts one thing at the top of the list for us…

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey!

We LOVED this attraction when we visited in 2012 and were VERY excited to ride it again!

The only difference from our visit in 2012 was the wait time. A few years before, we visited the attraction first thing in the morning and were there in the off-season, so we walked through the line pretty quickly for both times on the ride.

Today? Not quite so…

Yup, hardly moving.

We NEVER wait in long lines, so I don’t know what possessed us to jump right in? I think we on the beginning of a vacation high, and therefore thought that 30 minutes (the posted wait time) would not be so bad.

One positive of the longer wait time is we got to walk past sections of the queue that weren’t open during our past visit due to the shorter lines. We finally got to see the Mandrakes!

Only 29 minutes later, we finally got through the greenhouse and into the castle:

(That 30 minute total wait time? )



We passed a few more fun highlights, including the house hourglasses:

And the pensieve:

We also had a bit of additional time in the Defense of Dark Arts classroom, so I was able to capture details like this:

Finally, finally about 50 minutes (!) later, we finally saw this:

The sorting hat!

One great thing about the sorting hat is that it talks to guests about their upcoming journey.

The other great thing about the sorting hat is that you’re finally at the attraction loading zone!

You board your “flying bench” (which flies with some help of a spell from Hermione ) and then you’re off!

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is quite an adventure, and “flies” you around Hogwarts and through a Quidditch pitch, and also provides some encounters with a dragon, some spiders, and a few dementors. It really does feel like you’re flying!

I’ve read several trip reports that mention that this attraction is not great for those with motion sickness issues, which Anika and I thankfully don’t suffer from. Disney doesn’t have an equivalent to the Harry Potter rides (at least not yet – I don’t know what Pandora and the Hollywood Studios lands will bring forward!), so I can’t offer a “if you can handle [Disney ride] than you can handle this!” The best way I can describe the ride is it really DOES feel like you’re flying (or what you’d imagine it would feel like) and includes a few stomach drops per ride (the feeling when going down a roller coaster hill or being too high on a swing). The only other possible negative for younger riders is there ARE some scary parts – spiders, dementors, etc., but kids that have watched the movies or who can handle the Haunted Mansion will likely be just fine.

Another thing I would recommend is you can still see the castle (the “castle tour”) and then duck out at the end before the ride. Even if thrill rides are not your thing, the Hogwarts interior is pretty awesome!

Despite the queasy factor for some, Anika and I love the ride were thrilled to be riding it again!

The wait time was so darn long that there wasn’t really time to ride anything else. Instead, I decided I needed to kickoff our first park day with a Harry Potter favorite… we ducked into Hog’s Head to get a Butterbeer!

We’d stuck our heads into Hog’s Head during our last trip to Universal, but didn’t get a chance to see the details. The best part was definitely the namesake:

He would sporadically snort and grunt and move! It was pretty awesome!

I also appreciated the shrunken heads hanging on each side of the hog:

They're a bit ridiculous in the movie, but it was fun to see them nonetheless!

Anika and I enjoyed this beauty on our walk out of the park:

BUUTERBEER!!!

Yes, it was just as good as we remembered! Butterbeer reminds me a lot of cream soda, but with a bit more butterscotch. So delicious!

Since we’d gone home so early the day a few years before, we didn’t get a chance to see a Universal Park in the dark. It was very pretty!

We may not have accomplished very much on our first official park day, but it was fun to wander around the park with no plans. We enjoyed our two rides on the Mummy, REALLY enjoyed King’s Cross Station and riding the train to Hogsmeade, and loved flying around Hogwarts. Capping off the evening with a Butterbeer was the perfect touch!

We enjoyed our walk through City Walk and back to our resort. The only annoying thing we realized is although you can walk through the pool area during the day, the pool gate is locked once the pool closes. You then have to walk around the resort and through the front entrance at the end of the day, which takes more time and is more walking (which is not the most welcome thing after a day full of walking). The resort is still super-close the parks so it’s a minor annoyance at best, but it’s tough to find out at the end of a long day!

Up Next: Back to Islands of Adventure

 

[pkondz]

It was great to finally be in a theme park after being in Florida for more than 24 hours – that’s never happened before!

What the heck's with that???? I'm sooooo disappointed with you.

Since we’re thrill-ride fanatics, we couldn’t pass this up as our first ride of the trip:

Awww... you visited your mummy. That's very nice of you.

it was great to put that Express Pass to use over and over again to ride this many times this trip!

So.... just how many times did you ride it???

Our original intention was to search for the entrance to Diagon Alley, but we may have been distracted by this huge building:

It's very subtle. Surprised you even noticed it.

I was also amused to see this advertisement, which is from the beginning of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie (apologies for the quality of the picture – people were really moving!):

I remember that!

It’s difficult to get a picture of a member of your own party, but here are some random strangers entering the magical barrier to Platform 9 ¾ (including someone in a Hogwarts robe!):

Excellent shot! You even got... uh... her? him?... that person half way through!

(I may have been a smidge excited.)

Good! Happy you were!

We walked past more luggage and saw Harry Potter’s favorite friend, Hedwig, waiting for departure:

Was Hedwig moving? Or still?

Anika fit right in with her Platform 9 ¾ lanyard while standing at Platform 9 ¾!

Doesn't look happy at all.

my travel companion was giving me death glares every time I started to pull out my camera.

But didn't you tell her it was for us?

Once you’re seated in your compartment, you begin your journey from London to Hogsmeade. Once you leave the train station, you see the sights of London. Soon you’re in the country and some dementors board the train – but don’t worry, as Harry sends them away with an Expecto Patromum spell. Not long after, you pass Hogwarts castle and arrive at Hogsmeade station and are greeted by a waving and smiling Hagrid.

Seriously cool.

 

[pkondz]

The only difference from our visit in 2012 was the wait time. A few years before, we visited the attraction first thing in the morning and were there in the off-season, so we walked through the line pretty quickly for both times on the ride.

Today? Not quite so…

Uh, oh...

We finally got to see the Mandrakes!

Just don't pull one out!!!!

We passed a few more fun highlights, including the house hourglasses:

So cool...

And the pensieve:

Also cool!

Finally, finally about 50 minutes (!) later, we finally saw this:

50 minutes....

The sorting hat!

<sigh> I keep saying this... but... Also coo!

One great thing about the sorting hat is that it talks to guests about their upcoming journey.

Did not know that!

I’ve read several trip reports that mention that this attraction is not great for those with motion sickness issues, which Anika and I thankfully don’t suffer from. Disney doesn’t have an equivalent to the Harry Potter rides (at least not yet – I don’t know what Pandora and the Hollywood Studios lands will bring forward!), so I can’t offer a “if you can handle [Disney ride] than you can handle this!” The best way I can describe the ride is it really DOES feel like you’re flying (or what you’d imagine it would feel like) and includes a few stomach drops per ride (the feeling when going down a roller coaster hill or being too high on a swing). The only other possible negative for younger riders is there ARE some scary parts – spiders, dementors, etc., but kids that have watched the movies or who can handle the Haunted Mansion will likely be just fine.

That's an excellent description.

We’d stuck our heads into Hog’s Head during our last trip to Universal, but didn’t get a chance to see the details. The best part was definitely the namesake:

I love that shot! Wonderful!

He would sporadically snort and grunt and move! It was pretty awesome!

And he does that too????? Wow!

Yes, it was just as good as we remembered! Butterbeer reminds me a lot of cream soda, but with a bit more butterscotch. So delicious!

Yummmmm....

The only annoying thing we realized is although you can walk through the pool area during the day, the pool gate is locked once the pool closes. You then have to walk around the resort and through the front entrance at the end of the day, which takes more time and is more walking

Uh, oh. A chink in the awesomeness armour.

 

[chunkymonkey]

All caught up!

Aww cute picture of you and Dugette and family! I missed Dugette last December because we were leaving for home the day they arrived. Literally missed each other by like half an hour. One day!

I chose the Royal Pacific for two reasons: first, it was the least expensive of their resorts that would give us an unlimited Express Pass, and second, I really loved the theming at the resort! Fun and tropical was right up our alley (and seems perfect for a Florida vacation!). I thought Anika would really like it, too.

I loved the Royal Pacific when we stayed in 2010. And it was pre-renovation. Their resorts were much nicer than Disney's deluxes at that time. We also got a lot of freebies which we didn't get at the Disney deluxes...ice pops and frozen lemonade by the pool, and of course the fruity waters.

The room was REALLY nice. Anika and I agreed it was one of the nicest of our vacation (and that includes our stay at the Grand Floridian!). It definitely seemed higher-end, which may the higher price tag less painful. The beds were VERY comfortable (we both loved them!) and even the toiletries were above-average. We also really liked the decoration at this resort – it felt very fancy.

Your room looks really pretty! Love the large murals on the wall, just so different and fun! We are probably going to stay here in September too. When in Sept are you going again? I think we're missing each other...we'll be at Universal Sept 1-3 and Disney from the 3-5th.

Overall, we LOVED the Royal Pacific! Many Disney folks seem to be ho-hum about the Universal resorts, but we really liked staying on property at Universal. The resort was very clean and nice, the resorts are SO CLOSE to the parks (easy walking distance!), and Universal comes with some awesome onsite perks (hello, free Express Pass)! I wouldn’t hesitate to stay onsite at Universal again – and, in fact, will be doing so in September!

Eating at the resort turned out to be an EXCELLENT idea as our meal with great! Anika and I agreed that the sushi was very fresh and the crab Rangoon was above-average. It was also nice and quiet in there, which was a nice way to ease into the craziness to come at the theme parks. I would highly recommend the Orchid Lounge for sushi or other drinks and snacks!

Yum! Will make note of that!

Anika fit right in with her Platform 9 ¾ lanyard while standing at Platform 9 ¾!

Super cute!

We LOVED this attraction when we visited in 2012 and were VERY excited to ride it again!

Yes, it was just as good as we remembered! Butterbeer reminds me a lot of cream soda, but with a bit more butterscotch. So delicious!

I love frozen butterbeer!

Looks like a fun day at Universal! Can't wait to see it again in September. It's been too long and we haven't seen the new Diagon Alley side yet either!

 

[Tracy161]

They did such a great job on King’s Cross Station!

They really did! I've been to the real King's Cross Station and it's amazing the likeness. It was so funny because we were wandering around the station, looking for Platform 9 3/4 and a train conductor called out from a train "are you looking for Harry Potter?" and pointed us in the right direction. It was hilarious, but my sister (a London resident) was mortified at being identified as a lowly tourist with the rest of us

Looks like a great day at the park! I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan but I've seen all the movies and it's incredible what they've done there. Excited to hear more!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Yayyy so nice to catch up with your trip report! But first of all...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You look so beautiful Glad you managed to make the best of a bad situation with the rain, looks like a wonderful day!!!

And now...

CABBAGE PATCH KID!!!

We’re no fools, so we ordered the No Way Jose Sundae:

Omgggg I still havent tried it it looks so good. Is it very peanut-buttery..?! I love peanut butter but Jamie doesn't so I might just have to have one to myself... Such a shame

The only negative (at least back in 2015 - perhaps it's changed?) is the Express Pass is a card made of paper. It becomes yucky once wet - so keeping it in a lanyard pouch is the easiest way to go!

Ahh that's how they get you to buy a lanyard

One major perk at the higher-end Universal resorts (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific) is you receive unlimited Express Pass during the length of your stay without paying any additional fee, and it lasts from the day you check-in until midnight of the day you check-out. A major perk!

Yesss we did this on a last trip. We spent one night at Portofino and got express passes included for the two days either side - we would usually visit universal at least twice and buy the express passes - so buying 4x express passes was more expensive than paying for the room - it made so much sense!

I LOVE that the dragon has eyes

Since we’re thrill-ride fanatics, we couldn’t pass this up as our first ride of the trip:

Hooray for the Mummy!

Awww my favourite, hooray indeed

It’s difficult to get a picture of a member of your own party, but here are some random strangers entering the magical barrier to Platform 9 ¾ (including someone in a Hogwarts robe!):

It's so cool but I do wish it was easier to get a photo/video of!

Yay looking forward to more

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What the heck's with that???? I'm sooooo disappointed with you.

I know. Although, since we had 16 vacation days ahead of us, hopefully you'll forgive this small misstep.

Awww... you visited your mummy. That's very nice of you.

She's not very warm and friendly (other than the fire, of course ), but she is exciting!

So.... just how many times did you ride it???

Since I'm horrible at taking TR notes, I'm not entirely sure... probably 5-6 times? Maybe eight? It was a lot!

It's very subtle. Surprised you even noticed it.

I know, right? (Unlike the entrance to Diagon Alley, which IS pretty subtle!)

Excellent shot! You even got... uh... her? him?... that person half way through!

Thanks! The illusion was pretty cool, even if it was hard to get a picture of your own party.

Good! Happy you were!

SO excited.

Was Hedwig moving? Or still?

YES! Not a ton of movement, but his head would turn around to "look" at the people in line.

Doesn't look happy at all.

Nope. Not one bit. She would've much rather have been at home.

But didn't you tell her it was for us?

That's the only reason I get pictures at all! After a while she tends to relent.

Seriously cool.

It was REALLY well done. We were both impressed!

Uh, oh...

Tell me about it...

Just don't pull one out!!!!

Not without earmuffs!

So cool...

Also cool!

The details in Hogwarts are AMAZING! Especially for a Potter geek like me.

50 minutes....

I seriously don't know what we were thinking...

It had to have been that early trip high!

<sigh> I keep saying this... but... Also coo!

Did not know that!

The sorting hat is super cool - I was practically beside myself the first time we saw it in 2012!

The hat mostly acts as a CM and gives ride instructions - it's pretty amusing!

That's an excellent description.

Thank you! I know many folks read these TRs in order to figure out how to plan their own vacations - I try to be helpful!

I love that shot! Wonderful!

Thanks! That's high praise coming from you!

And he does that too????? Wow!

It was an unexpected effect! We'd stuck our heads into Hog's Head in 2012, but never gotten a beverage. I'd love to go in there again!

Yummmmm....

SO GOOOOOOD!

Uh, oh. A chink in the awesomeness armour.

It's really a minor complaint (and I understand it, as it keeps people out of the pool area once it's closed), but that was NOT a happy surprise after walking around for a few hours! My feet were not used to miles of walking yet!

Aww cute picture of you and Dugette and family! I missed Dugette last December because we were leaving for home the day they arrived. Literally missed each other by like half an hour. One day!

Thank you! It was SO fun to meet them - I highly recommend it if you have a chance on a future trip!

I loved the Royal Pacific when we stayed in 2010. And it was pre-renovation. Their resorts were much nicer than Disney's deluxes at that time. We also got a lot of freebies which we didn't get at the Disney deluxes...ice pops and frozen lemonade by the pool, and of course the fruity waters.

They gave you ice pops?! Either they stopped doing that or we totally missed it! We did enjoy the water, though!

We were REALLY impressed with the Royal Pacific! It felt very elegant and the rooms were VERY nice! Anika and I both loved the resort (and the proximity to the parks and other perks are hard to beat!).

Your room looks really pretty! Love the large murals on the wall, just so different and fun! We are probably going to stay here in September too. When in Sept are you going again? I think we're missing each other...we'll be at Universal Sept 1-3 and Disney from the 3-5th.

The room was SO nice! I'm not sure if the renovation was completely finished when we were there (I think it wasn't?), so I was excited to see a renovated room!

We're going the end of September - the 27th through October 1st. I'm sorry that we'll miss you - I'd love for our paths to cross someday!

Yum! Will make note of that!

We were pretty impressed! We liked this sushi much more than our sushi at Tokyo Dining later on the trip. I hope it hasn't gone tragically downhill in the two years since!

Super cute!

She LOVED her lanyard. I'm glad I chose well!

I love frozen butterbeer!

Looks like a fun day at Universal! Can't wait to see it again in September. It's been too long and we haven't seen the new Diagon Alley side yet either!

I enjoy both the frozen and the carbonated butterbeer - both are tasty in their own right. We enjoyed both of them during our visit!

We really enjoyed our time at Universal (more fun to come!). You will LOVE Diagon Alley - they did a PHENOMENAL job!

They really did! I've been to the real King's Cross Station and it's amazing the likeness. It was so funny because we were wandering around the station, looking for Platform 9 3/4 and a train conductor called out from a train "are you looking for Harry Potter?" and pointed us in the right direction. It was hilarious, but my sister (a London resident) was mortified at being identified as a lowly tourist with the rest of us

Looks like a great day at the park! I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan but I've seen all the movies and it's incredible what they've done there. Excited to hear more!

That's hysterical! I would've done exactly the same thing (much to the mortification of my travel companions or any London residents). Sorry folks, but the Potter love is strong!

We had a great time, even with the long lines! They really hit it out of the park (or the Quidditch field ) with both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. It's the main reason I want to return to Universal!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You look so beautiful Glad you managed to make the best of a bad situation with the rain, looks like a wonderful day!!!

Thanks so much, Katie! I'm so thrilled to see you on the DISboards!

Our wedding was AWESOME, even with cramming the planning into seven months! I'll have a wedding post sometime soon once I've sorted through the pictures.

CABBAGE PATCH KID!!!

I just LOVE those memorabilia boxes at Pop Century! It's so fun to look for things you remember or used to own. (I had FOUR Cabbage Patch Kids! )

Omgggg I still havent tried it it looks so good. Is it very peanut-buttery..?! I love peanut butter but Jamie doesn't so I might just have to have one to myself... Such a shame

Honestly, I think you could avoid a lot of the peanut butter if the only problem was aversion (rather than allergy). You could avoid (or pick off) the peanut butter chips, and you could scrape off the peanut butter sauce on the ice cream and Jamie could follow behind for more of the ice cream. You could also always order the smaller ice cream (it's not advertised, but you just ask for the smaller version) and enjoy your own No Way Jose!

Ahh that's how they get you to buy a lanyard

True!

Yesss we did this on a last trip. We spent one night at Portofino and got express passes included for the two days either side - we would usually visit universal at least twice and buy the express passes - so buying 4x express passes was more expensive than paying for the room - it made so much sense!

It really does! It becomes even more economical for more than two people (a family of four would really make out well!), but it made it so easy to tour the parks!

I LOVE that the dragon has eyes

Isn't it awesome?! Both Anika and I were highly amused!

Awww my favourite, hooray indeed

It's such a great ride! I think it's my favorite non-Harry Potter attraction!!

It's so cool but I do wish it was easier to get a photo/video of!

Yay looking forward to more

I agree! It would be fun getting a picture of Grant walking through the barrier in September (or have Grant take a picture of me walking through the barrier!)

Speaking of, are you and Jamie making your way back to Orlando in September 2017? I know you usually travel in the fall... if you are planning a trip and your plans may include some Universal time that coincides with our trip, please PM me and let me know! It would be fabulous to meet you both!

 

[pkondz]

I know. Although, since we had 16 vacation days ahead of us, hopefully you'll forgive this small misstep.

I'll let it go... this time.

She's not very warm and friendly (other than the fire, of course ), but she is exciting!

Since I'm horrible at taking TR notes, I'm not entirely sure... probably 5-6 times? Maybe eight? It was a lot!

Eight?!?!?!

I know, right? (Unlike the entrance to Diagon Alley, which IS pretty subtle!)

I wouldn't know! Sure! Yes! Of course!

Thanks! The illusion was pretty cool, even if it was hard to get a picture of your own party.

It really is cool. Like... seriously.

YES! Not a ton of movement, but his head would turn around to "look" at the people in line.

Love that!

Nope. Not one bit. She would've much rather have been at home.

Obviously!

Not without earmuffs!

I seriously don't know what we were thinking...

It had to have been that early trip high!

Ah yes... before the brain kicks in and says "What the heck are you doing???"

Thank you! I know many folks read these TRs in order to figure out how to plan their own vacations - I try to be helpful!

You are!

Thanks! That's high praise coming from you!

Merely the truth.
Excellent shadow detail.

It's really a minor complaint (and I understand it, as it keeps people out of the pool area once it's closed), but that was NOT a happy surprise after walking around for a few hours! My feet were not used to miles of walking yet!

Gotta get your Disney on.

 

[heathsf]

Rather than continue to get irritated (I seriously drove around the lot for more than ten minutes!), I gave up and decided to eat the additional parking fee. I drove back to the front and handed the keys to the valet. (Perhaps this illustrates why they make the self-parking lot so small – to make all of us pay the higher prices for valet! )

Doubley frustrating! But it looks like other than that the resort was really great.

Still a beautiful room view

Hooray for the Mummy! What a great ride! We rode this back in 2012 and really enjoyed it, but it was great to put that Express Pass to use over and over again to ride this many times this trip!

Sounds like the Express Pass is well worth the price of the resort room. It seems like an awesome perk.

***SPOLIER ALERT – TRAIN RIDE FROM KING’S CROSS TO HOGSMEADE***
Once you’re seated in your compartment, you begin your journey from London to Hogsmeade. Once you leave the train station, you see the sights of London. Soon you’re in the country and some dementors board the train – but don’t worry, as Harry sends them away with an Expecto Patromum spell. Not long after, you pass Hogwarts castle and arrive at Hogsmeade station and are greeted by a waving and smiling Hagrid.

I've watched a video of the ride on youtube and it looks amaaaaaazzinngggg

Finally, finally about 50 minutes (!) later, we finally saw this:

The long wait must have stunk when it was posted as 30 minutes but at least the queue looks amazing!! I'm all excited just from seeing your pictures and I don't even have plans to go anytime soon

I’ve read several trip reports that mention that this attraction is not great for those with motion sickness issues, which Anika and I thankfully don’t suffer from. Disney doesn’t have an equivalent to the Harry Potter rides (at least not yet – I don’t know what Pandora and the Hollywood Studios lands will bring forward!), so I can’t offer a “if you can handle [Disney ride] than you can handle this!” The best way I can describe the ride is it really DOES feel like you’re flying (or what you’d imagine it would feel like) and includes a few stomach drops per ride (the feeling when going down a roller coaster hill or being too high on a swing).

From what I've read so far, Flights of Passage at Pandora has been compared to Forbidden Journey a lot.

Gorgeous! Can't wait for more.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I'll let it go... this time.

Well, thank goodness! I'd hate to lose a reader so early!

Eight?!?!?!

We're not thrill ride fans for nothing!

It really is cool. Like... seriously.

It is indeed!

Ah yes... before the brain kicks in and says "What the heck are you doing???"

So true!

You are!

Thank you! That's what I hope for!

Doubley frustrating! But it looks like other than that the resort was really great.

It was really annoying, but I could live with it as it was one of the only downsides for the Universal resorts.

Still a beautiful room view

It really was! So tropical! I was extra impressed as we didn't pay an extra for a special view (and were essentially looking at the parking lot!).

Sounds like the Express Pass is well worth the price of the resort room. It seems like an awesome perk.

ABSOLUTELY! I think I would have a hard time visiting Universal without that unlimited Express Pass again!

I've watched a video of the ride on youtube and it looks amaaaaaazzinngggg

ISN'T IT AWESOME?! It doesn't photograph well at all, but it's pretty spectacular in-person!

The long wait must have stunk when it was posted as 30 minutes but at least the queue looks amazing!! I'm all excited just from seeing your pictures and I don't even have plans to go anytime soon

The queue makes it bearable! I'm even skipping over some of the details, like the portrait room (I can never get it to photograph well!) or the Gryffindor common room. It's awesome in-person!

From what I've read so far, Flights of Passage at Pandora has been compared to Forbidden Journey a lot.

Wow, really?! I bet I'd love it!

Gorgeous! Can't wait for more.

Thank you! Another update coming up shortly!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Enjoying our First Early Morning Entry
Day 3 – Monday, May 25th

Our first official full park day of the trip was here!

Anika and I were up early and SUPER excited about our first early entry at Universal! Today’s early entry (actually, both days of early entry!) was at Islands of Adventure, so Hogsmeade Part II it was!

Anika, being the dear sister she is, figured out our fancy Keurig machine and made us both coffee for our walk to IOA. They provided high-quality K-cups, but the flavors were not up my alley as I’m not a dark roast coffee fan. In other words, it did the job but it wasn’t my personal favorite. I think I’ll follow a tip mentioned on another Universal TR and bring my own K-cups for my next venture to Universal.

Coffee acquired, it was time to make our way back to Islands of Adventure:

We arrived around 7:30 for the 8:00 entry. There weren’t too many people in front of us in line:

We were let in 5-10 minutes early and walked with everyone else back to Hogsmeade. Anika and I are pretty speedy walkers, and passed by quite a few people on our way.

Universal has this early entry thing down, and there were sections of the walk to Hogsmeade where the walking path was roped off:

Needless to say, we didn’t overtake quite as many people in this section, but still made it back to Hogsmeade in about five minutes.

What a beautiful sight!

The shops would have to wait, as we had a destination in mind (with hopefully a MUCH shorter wait than last night!):

Forbidden Journey, take two!

We moved right along through the greenhouse – no stopping this time!

Yes, the line may have been a little shorter:

It was so short, in fact, that most of my pictures in the castle looked like this:

Yup, first-rate photography, right there! Truth be told, I didn’t want to anger others behind me in line (including my travel companion!) by slowing down!

After our second magical ride on our flying bench, the only thing to do with early entry is to exit the ride and go right back on!

While on our second trip through the castle, I accidently let this flash picture go off:

Whoops! Hopefully I didn’t bother too many people, but it does show a few cool castle details (including the sorting hat at the end!).

Our second ride was in the books in less time than it took us to just get through the line to the attraction last night! Early entry win!

We were still within the early entry hour, so we decided to jump into line for Flight of the Hippogriff:

It’s essentially a Harry-Potter themed Barnstormer, but it’s a cute ride and it provides some fun views. You can see Hagrid’s hut:

And an animatronic Buckbeak:

Another reason the ride is fun is it gives some great views of Hogswarts and Hogsmeade:

I don’t think it’s worth waiting in a long line, but if the line is on the shorter side I would recommend it! If you have an Express pass I think it’s a must-do once – the Express pass makes your wait almost nonexistent!

It’s a good thing we went to Forbidden Journey first – when we exited the Flight of the Hippogriff the wait time was now 60 minutes! Unless they allowed some of the regular crowds in early, this was still the early entry guests!

Closing out the early entry, we jumped into line for the last Harry Potter ride in Hogsmeade:

First, we dropped off our bags in the locker to the side of the ride. You need to drop your bags in a locker for Forbidden Journey, but Dragon Challenge requires that EVERYTHING from your pockets is also in the locker. Your wallet, your keys, your camera, and even your change. As a result, you can’t get one picture in the queue (which makes a trip reporter a little irritated).

The queue is quite well-done, however, and the ride is themed after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Along the way, you can see decorative flags endorsing certain contestants, items from the three tasks, and even the Triwizard cup!

There are two coasters on Dragon Challenge – the Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail. They are named after two of the dragons involved with the first task of the tournament (and conquered by Viktor Krum and Harry Potter, respectively). The coasters are a little different, but I don’t remember strongly liking one over the other. I know many people have a favorite side, but Anika and are would be happy with either!

After riding both sides of the challenge, we retrieved our items from the locker and then ventured into the Hogsmeade shops. The crowd was beginning to pick up as the regular guests had now entered the park, but as most of those folks in Potter-land had hightailed it to Forbidden Journey the shops were not too bad.

Hogsmeade used to have an additional shop, Zonkos:

The exterior is still there, but with the edition of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley, Universal must’ve thought two joke shops were overkill. It’s too bad for those who don’t have park-to-park tickets (although I’m sure those are few and far between!).

With the removal of the Zonko’s interior, Honeydukes took over the entire space:

It’s so much fun to see the treats described in the books:

In addition to the pre-packaged treats, there is a bakery counter with additional fresh treats:

There are many great options, including fudge, pumpkin pasties, and our personal favorite, the cauldron cake. We would stop in later after lunch to pick up some dessert!

(continued in next post)

 

[SimplyGoofy]

(continued from previous post)

Despite being on Day 3, us Midwesterners were still not used to the Florida heat and humidity so we stopped at a cart for some Gilly Water (also known as regular water in a special bottle for a premium price! ):

Next up was Dervish and Banges:

There is a multitude of Potter gear, from ties to scarves to lanyards:

Dervish and Banges also carries one of Hagrid’s favorites, the Monster Book of Monsters:

It will actually makes noises and attempt to get out of its bindings. It’s pretty amusing to watch!

It’s mentioned in many trip reports, but as the Hogsmeade shops are really compact I would recommend dropping in early!

We enjoyed a little more Hogsmeade before venturing back into the regular sections of IOA:

Bye for now, Hogsmeade!

We thought about stopping at Poseidon’s Fury at the Lost Continent, but the attraction wasn’t open until 10:00. Instead we retraced our steps back to the IOA entrance and started at the front of the park to ride the Hulk coaster.

This is another attraction that forces you to drop off your bag and empty the contents of your pockets into a locker. Hence, no pictures of the queue. Anika and I are major thrill ride fans (my favorite Disney ride is Tower of Terror, for goodness sake!), but the Hulk coaster is VERY bumpy! Neither of us felt all that great after riding so it was our only time on Hulk. Perhaps rebuilding the track improved the experience, but I don’t think I’d hightail it back there as-is.

Wishing for a little recovery time, we retrieved our bags from the locker and obtained a snack. We aimed for a healthy choice of Starbucks coffee (with the thought that the caffeine may ward off a Hulk headache) and split a gooey Cinnabon:

Yup, super healthy!

We grabbed some seats in the empty Café 4. While enjoying our short break, we saw a big group of kids (school group, maybe?) troop through the restaurant for lunch. Although I realize we were eating, 10:40 seemed a bit early for lunch?!

Since our quiet restaurant was no longer quiet, we finished our break and went on our way.

Refreshed by sitting in the air conditioning and enjoying our coffee and snack, we were excited to experience the next attraction for the first time:

Spiderman was under refurbishment during our last trip to Universal, but it was so highly recommended by other friends who had previously visited that we were looking forward to it!

The Express pass provided an advantage on Hulk, but it REALLY provided an advantage on Spiderman. We were on the ride in about five minutes.

We were seated in our car and started the ride… and soon we stopped. We waited, and waited, and waited… and nothing! There were obviously major issues with the ride, as soon they turned on the lights and then wove us all the way through the ride.

For your amusement, Spiderman with no projections and in full light! (Pictures still proved difficult, as we still rode on the darting-around ride sequence. It was really strange in full light and with no Spidey!)

I’m sure we could’ve requested a re-ride (imagine if your 30 minute wait resulted in that ride!), but as we had the Express pass we decided to move on and come back later.

Next, we wandered through Toon Lagoon:

We enjoyed the colorful sights, but bypassed the major water attractions for now. We planned to come back and ride them in the afternoon sans bags and with more water-appropriate clothes!

We also passed by the Jurassic Park River Adventure, but decided to spend a few minutes in the Jurassic Park Discovery Center given the gloomy skies:

The inside definitely reminded us of the entrance of the building in the Jurassic Park film!

Going into the Discovery Center was the good choice, as there was a brief rainstorm shortly after we entered. Once the storm stopped we headed back into Hogsmeade:

It was time for lunch at Three Broomsticks!

We LOVED this meal in 2012 and were very excited to return. It was busy in Three Broomsticks, but it didn’t take us long to get through the line with our food. Even better, we were directed to an empty table once we had our food in hand (I think the Disney QS locations could take a lesson from Universal!).

We had almost the same meals we enjoyed in 2012, with a small change.

We LOVED the fish and chips during our prior visit, so that was a must-do:

We had purchased the chicken and ribs combo last time, but weren’t impressed with the ribs. This time we selected the chicken-only meal:

We also got a lemonade for me (there’s no Coke or Sprite in the Wizarding World!) and another Gilly Water for Anika:

Yet again, our meals were delicious! I don’t know what it is about the Harry Potter quick service restaurants, but they are great! Our fish was flaky and delicious, the chicken moist and flavorful, and the roasted potatoes were really tasty! Anika and I ate every bit of the fish and chips and finished nearly all of the chicken.

You can’t visit Three Broomsticks without looking around the restaurant and appreciating the details:

I can’t endorse the Three Broomsticks enough! Highly, highly recommended!

Up Next: More Fun in IOA

 

[heathsf]

All of the HP stuff looks so amazing. I want to go so badly. I love all your pictures and especially seeing all the merchandise that's straight out of the books. It's just so flippin cool! To be honest, nothing outside of HP seems that appealing to me at Universal (at least not enough to take time away from Disney) but I would totally go just for HP!

 

[Dugette]

Yes, that would be great fun! Perhaps we could meet up at the Mall of America or something...

My hairstylist is in St. Louis Park, but the Mall would be a heck of a lot more fun. If you're willing to travel to the west side, the Yum! Bakery (where I always have either breakfast or lunch on the haircut days) is another great option - and they have AWESOME cupcakes!

Either of those would be fine by me.

It’s difficult to get a picture of a member of your own party, but here are some random strangers entering the magical barrier to Platform 9 ¾ (including someone in a Hogwarts robe!):

Gotta love how one of the random strangers is even looking over for the picture.

Finally, finally about 50 minutes (!) later, we finally saw this:

Ugh, what a LONG wait!

For your amusement, Spiderman with no projections and in full light! (Pictures still proved difficult, as we still rode on the darting-around ride sequence. It was really strange in full light and with no Spidey!)

Huh, how strange!

 

[pkondz]

Well, thank goodness! I'd hate to lose a reader so early!

But you're on thin ice!!

We're not thrill ride fans for nothing!

No kidding!!

Our first official full park day of the trip was here!

I think your last day was pretty full as it is!

Anika, being the dear sister she is, figured out our fancy Keurig machine and made us both coffee for our walk to IOA.

So... you're saying she's a keeper.

We arrived around 7:30 for the 8:00 entry. There weren’t too many people in front of us in line:

At first glance I thought there was a huge crowd...
but then noticed the where the gates were.

We were let in 5-10 minutes early and walked with everyone else back to Hogsmeade. Anika and I are pretty speedy walkers, and passed by quite a few people on our way.

Elbows flying never hurt either.

What a beautiful sight!

That really is.

Yes, the line may have been a little shorter:

Just a smidge...

It was so short, in fact, that most of my pictures in the castle looked like this:

Speeeeeeed blurrrrrrrrrr.....

After our second magical ride on our flying bench, the only thing to do with early entry is to exit the ride and go right back on!

While on our second trip through the castle, I accidently let this flash picture go off:

Once again, elbows flew...

It’s essentially a Harry-Potter themed Barnstormer, but it’s a cute ride and it provides some fun views. You can see Hagrid’s hut:

Was he home?

And an animatronic Buckbeak:

Shame they couldn't get the real Buckbeak.

OMG! You got a picture..... with owl mail coming in!

It’s a good thing we went to Forbidden Journey first – when we exited the Flight of the Hippogriff the wait time was now 60 minutes!

Whoa. Now that escalated quickly!

First, we dropped off our bags in the locker to the side of the ride. You need to drop your bags in a locker for Forbidden Journey, but Dragon Challenge requires that EVERYTHING from your pockets is also in the locker. Your wallet, your keys, your camera, and even your change. As a result, you can’t get one picture in the queue (which makes a trip reporter a little irritated).

I can see that.
I mean I can't... but, I understand your frustration.

You need to have a hidden camera watch or something.
Or a bionic eye! You'd give up an eye for your readers, wouldn't you??

The queue is quite well-done, however, and the ride is themed after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Along the way, you can see decorative flags endorsing certain contestants, items from the three tasks, and even the Triwizard cup!

Cool!

Hogsmeade used to have an additional shop, Zonkos:

The exterior is still there, but with the edition of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley, Universal must’ve thought two joke shops were overkill.

Shame, but...

With the removal of the Zonko’s interior, Honeydukes took over the entire space:

...I'm kinda okay with that. Yum!

Despite being on Day 3, us Midwesterners were still not used to the Florida heat and humidity so we stopped at a cart for some Gilly Water (also known as regular water in a special bottle for a premium price! ):

Yes, but you can breathe underwater now. So there's that.

Dervish and Banges also carries one of Hagrid’s favorites, the Monster Book of Monsters:

Cool!

It will actually makes noises and attempt to get out of its bindings. It’s pretty amusing to watch!

It’s mentioned in many trip reports, but as the Hogsmeade shops are really compact I would recommend dropping in early!

That is pretty tiny. Could you go upstairs? Or is that just for show?

This is another attraction that forces you to drop off your bag and empty the contents of your pockets into a locker. Hence, no pictures of the queue.

Bionic eye... I'm telling ya.

Anika and I are major thrill ride fans

I think I've heard this somewhere before.

but the Hulk coaster is VERY bumpy! Neither of us felt all that great after riding so it was our only time on Hulk.

Hulk smash Jenny and Anika's tummies.

We aimed for a healthy choice of Starbucks coffee (with the thought that the caffeine may ward off a Hulk headache) and split a gooey Cinnabon:

Very healthy.
Good. And good for you.

While enjoying our short break, we saw a big group of kids (school group, maybe?) troop through the restaurant for lunch. Although I realize we were eating, 10:40 seemed a bit early for lunch?!

Maybe they were just marshaling them? Or a snack, too?

The Express pass provided an advantage on Hulk, but it REALLY provided an advantage on Spiderman. We were on the ride in about five minutes.

Do you recall what the wait time was?

We were seated in our car and started the ride… and soon we stopped. We waited, and waited, and waited… and nothing! There were obviously major issues with the ride, as soon they turned on the lights and then wove us all the way through the ride.

Not as exciting as I thought it'd be.

We enjoyed the colorful sights, but bypassed the major water attractions for now. We planned to come back and ride them in the afternoon sans bags and with more water-appropriate clothes!

And warmer weather (hopefully)

The inside definitely reminded us of the entrance of the building in the Jurassic Park film!

Nice.

Even better, we were directed to an empty table once we had our food in hand (I think the Disney QS locations could take a lesson from Universal!).

That's a great idea!

Man, those look good!

(there’s no Coke or Sprite in the Wizarding World!)

But I assume they have Pepsi products, no?

You can’t visit Three Broomsticks without looking around the restaurant and appreciating the details:

Cool looking place. Nicely done.

 

[Tracy161]

Sounds like such a great day so far! I'm entirely unfamiliar with Universal as I haven't been in - gasp! - 20 years, but your pictures and descriptions have me wondering if I should try it again someday (soon).

 

[SimplyGoofy]

All of the HP stuff looks so amazing. I want to go so badly. I love all your pictures and especially seeing all the merchandise that's straight out of the books. It's just so flippin cool! To be honest, nothing outside of HP seems that appealing to me at Universal (at least not enough to take time away from Disney) but I would totally go just for HP!

I'm glad you're enjoying it! The Harry Potter worlds are AMAZING (and we haven't even gotten to Diagon Alley, yet!)

We actually enjoyed the other parts of Universal as well (the Mummy, Men in Black Alien Attack, the Simpsons Ride, and the Dr. Seuss area are all pretty awesome), but the Harry Potter sections were definitely the standouts!

It's doable with little kids (see amazingact21's recent TR as proof!), but Universal is definitely slanted for bigger kids and adults. Still, you could absolutely enjoy the park, and especially the Harry Potter sections, if you have an extra adult around for child swap!

Either of those would be fine by me.

Wonderful! I'll be sure to give you a heads up the next time I'm headed to Minneapolis! I go several times a year, so I'm sure we could make something work!

Gotta love how one of the random strangers is even looking over for the picture.

I know! How nice of them to be so cooperative!

Ugh, what a LONG wait!

It was ridiculous! I don't know what we were thinking getting into that line, but I think we were just so excited to ride it again!

Huh, how strange!

It was truly bizarre. We'd never ridden it before, but when we stopped for several minutes with the ride chatter on a loop, we figured it wasn't a good sign!

But you're on thin ice!!

Duly noted!

No kidding!!

I think your last day was pretty full as it is!

It was - just not many rides!

So... you're saying she's a keeper.

Definitely!

At first glance I thought there was a huge crowd...
but then noticed the where the gates were.

Yes, not bad at all! I'd intended to get going a bit earlier that morning, but it didn't matter much in the end.

Elbows flying never hurt either.

Truth!

That really is.

Just a smidge...

Thank goodness!

Speeeeeeed blurrrrrrrrrr.....

EVERY PICTURE!

Seriously, no other choice!

Once again, elbows flew...

Maybe not QUITE as many elbows.

Was he home?

I don't believe so... we never saw him!

Shame they couldn't get the real Buckbeak.

It is indeed a shame.

OMG! You got a picture..... with owl mail coming in!

Whoa. Now that escalated quickly!

It really did! My picture timestamp is before 9:00, but they must've started letting people in a few minutes early. It's also possible that everyone else from the resorts got there around 8:30 and greatly increased the wait time!

I can see that.
I mean I can't... but, I understand your frustration.

You need to have a hidden camera watch or something.
Or a bionic eye! You'd give up an eye for your readers, wouldn't you??

There are a few pictures of the queue in my 2012 TR, in case you're interested.

Cool!

It was a neat theme! I'm glad they worked it in!

Shame, but...

...I'm kinda okay with that. Yum

I'm glad they kept the exterior, but I wonder how many people were confused when they did NOT find Zonkos!

Yes, but you can breathe underwater now. So there's that.

Does Gilly Water have Gilly Weed in it?

We'll say yes!

Cool!

It's a great effect! I'm glad they included it!

That is pretty tiny. Could you go upstairs? Or is that just for show?

Just for show, I'm afraid. Still, it's an interesting feature!

Bionic eye... I'm telling ya.

I think I've heard this somewhere before.

Perhaps...

Hulk smash Jenny and Anika's tummies.

Not to mention our heads! Ouch!

Very healthy.
Good. And good for you

It is, isn't it?! So tasty, though!

Maybe they were just marshaling them? Or a snack, too?

Could be... we didn't stay long enough to find out!

Do you recall what the wait time was?

I don't exactly but don't think it was too bad - 20-30 minutes? The Express Pass came in REALLY handy when we rode it the following day! The wait that day was over an hour!

Not as exciting as I thought it'd be.

We were initially confused, but it was rather amusing to ride through in the light!

And warmer weather (hopefully)

Nice.

It was well done!

That's a great idea!

It really was! It was so much more efficient than breaking out those elbows again to score a table!

Man, those look good!

SO GOOD!!!

But I assume they have Pepsi products, no?

Not quite. Lemonade, pumpkin juice, Butterbeer, and water. And I believe milk as well?

Cool looking place. Nicely done.

They did such a great job!

Sounds like such a great day so far! I'm entirely unfamiliar with Universal as I haven't been in - gasp! - 20 years, but your pictures and descriptions have me wondering if I should try it again someday (soon).

We really had a great time! There are a TON of thrill rides, which I know are not quite up your alley... but the details of the two Potter lands are pretty amazing. I would definitely recommend checking it out sometime!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

You’re Gonna Get Drenched!
Day 3 – Part II

New Trip Report Link!

In case you'd like to read more dining reviews and hear about new resort experiences, character meets, and adventures at the Flower and Garden Festival, I've started a trip report for my 2016 trip: The (Almost) Solo Trip

I debated whether or not to start a trip report for that trip (after all, I'm still near the beginning of this one! ), but in the end, there were too many fun experiences and great pictures that I wanted to share. I hope to see you over there!

Now back to our regularly scheduled trip report...

~ ~ ~

After our very tasty lunch, we stopped in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom and swapped out our regular clothes for others that were more water-friendly. We could’ve waited to change in a bathroom closer to the front of the park, but it’s far more fun to visit Myrtle!

Clothing change accomplished, it was time to visit some favorite characters from Dr. Seuss!

Our first stop was a ride we’d missed last time – the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!

I have no idea why we skipped it last time – it’s a pretty calm ride and provides a lot of great views of the park!

After our train ride in the sky, we beelined for a favorite of mine, the Caro-Seuss-el. I love carousels and not many of them come with Seuss characters!

We rounded out our time in Seuss land with the Cat in the Hat dark ride:

I’ve seen pictures on other trip reports, but I didn’t take any myself during the ride as they seemed MILITANT about pictures on the ride! They actually stopped the ride at one point and made a loudspeaker announcement to put cameras away! (And I swear - the loudspeaker announcement wasn't even for me that time! )

Okay, then!

We thought the dump shop where you exited the ride was pretty cute:

You could get any Thing 1 or Thing 2 merchandise that your heart desired!

After finishing our time in Seuss land in short order (all three attractions have Express Pass!), we made our way to the front of the park to drop our park bag and bag of clothes in a longer-term locker:

It was water ride time!

Unlike most of Disney’s water rides (possibly excluding Kali River Rapids), the Universal water rides are SERIOUS BUSINESS. All three of them will make every person on the ride completely DRENCHED. We learned this during my research prior to our 2012 trip, which led us to wear ponchos on the two water rides we experienced (the thought of being completely soaking wet for the rest of the day did NOT appeal to us!).

With staying onsite, we were excited to try the attractions the way they were to be experienced – poncho-free!

We dropped nearly EVERYTHING in that locker, including our other clothes, our park bags, and my camera. Anika and I also both changed into flip-flops and left our tennis shoes in the locker, too. As a result, the following photos were taken either earlier in the morning or on the following day.

We trucked it back to Toon Lagoon, where two of the water rides are located:

First up was Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls:

This is a very colorful log flume ride with a pretty drenching drop at the end. It’s fun and colorful, but not nearly as cute (either animatronic-wise or story-wise) as Splash Mountain, but the final drop is pretty fun! There are actually several drops on this ride – each one bigger than the last! The top of the final drop also gives you a FANTASTIC view of Islands of Adventure!

We actually decided to go on this twice as the final drop was SUPER fun, but holy man alive was it COLD in the building where you entered the logs once you were soaking wet! TURN OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING!

Next up was Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges (pictures from Google, as I apparently missed taking any?!):

The closest Disney counterpart would be Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom. Similar to pretty much any river raft ride, we were DRENCHED with water, but the storyline with Bluto kidnapping Olive Oyl and Popeye coming to the rescue was fun.

Our last water ride on the docket was a favorite for many:

Jurassic Park River Adventure! More so than the other water rides, we noticed several people that threw on a poncho for this ride. I would guess that many folks consider this a must-do even if they’re just in the park for the day. I’m sure they really appreciated sitting beside two people that were already dripping wet!

This ride is the most fun story-wise, as it includes interactions with multiple dinosaurs. First you go through the big double door as you’re welcomed to Jurassic Park (very similar to the “tour” on the movie), drift past the nice herbivores, encounter some excitement due to escapees from the Velociraptor paddock, finally you say hello to your friend T-Rex before the big drop!

On our way out of the park, we stopped in Honeydukes in Hogsmeade and picked up a few yummy treats for later. First up was something we LOVED last time, the Cauldron Cake:

If you love chocolate, TRY THIS! It’s pretty rich, but it’s DELICIOUS!

We also tried a new treat, Treacle Fudge:

This was just okay for us. It was good, but the raisins in it made it a bit odd?

With treats in hand and thoroughly soaked, we walked to the front of the park to retrieve our stuff from the locker and walked back to Royal Pacific.

(continued in next post)

 

[SimplyGoofy]

(continued from previous post)

We relaxed at the resort and then cleaned up for our return to the park. It was FINALLY time to see Diagon Alley!

Although we could’ve walked again to the Studios, we decided to try the boat transportation this time:

It provided some nice views of the resort and City Walk!

Between waiting for the boat, boarding the boat, disembarking from the boat, and walking to the Studios entrance, it took us about 20 minutes. We could’ve gotten there a bit fast if we’d walked, but it was nice to try something different and save our feet some extra steps.

First up at the Studios was dinner – we were starving! I think the hunger was getting to me as I was a bit of a grump – I really wanted to try and find the Simpson’s food court, but Anika thought we should just grab the first thing we saw rather than wander aimlessly while hungry.

That led us to this surprise gem:

I don’t know that I ever read about the Beverly Hills Boulangerie during my trip planning research, but what a nice surprise! It wasn’t even wall-to-wall people in there (which was surprising for 5:30 at night!) and we had super-fresh food!

I chose a roast beef sandwich on a croissant, which came with potato salad and fruit:

Anika picked a smoked turkey sandwich, which also came with potato salad and fruit:

As we’re dessert fanatics, it was impossible to pass by the cheesecakes without picking out this beauty (I believe it was the Blueberry Patch?):

You wouldn’t think some sandwiches in a case would be that tasty, but holy cow, they were great! Both of us raved about our food. Similar to the crack in the Disney popcorn, the potato salad here was incredible! It tasted very fresh and light, not nearly as “manufactured” as most quicker service potato salad tends to be. Finally, the cheesecake was DELICIOUS!

Anika won the dinner points that evening, first for dealing with my grumpy mood, and secondly, for finding such as great spot!

Now that were full and I was a lot less grumpy, we headed to a show that I was really looking forward to. I’d heard such good things that I convinced Anika that we should try the Horror Makeup Show!

We enjoyed the sites of an old-fashioned Hollywood Boulevard along the way:

Once we arrived at our destination, it was pretty fun to see replicated props and secrets from horror movies through the years (located in the show's lobby):

We didn’t have to wait long before they started the 6:00 show!

This show gives you “behind-the-scenes” secrets for how the movies create so many of the horror film effects. Everything from trick knives, fake blood, and robotic creatures. The two hosts that we had were also REALLY funny, so that was great, too!

Very early on, the hosts will request a volunteer from the audience to help them showcase the effects. Many people waved their hands to volunteer (Anika and I were not among them, as I really wanted to SEE the show first and Anika would never volunteer for such a thing!), but one group was VERY enthusiastic! A group of adult children all pointed to their mother, who was the person selected by the hosts.

Here was the poor victim, er… volunteer:

This poor woman! It was pretty clear almost immediately that she spoke either no English or very limited English, so I don’t know if she had any idea what was going on during the whole show! Still, she was such a trooper, and played along with everything even if she didn’t know what they were about to do.

Things like this:

Yes, that was really her arm! (Don’t worry – her arm stayed intact!)

And her “controlling” a monster:

She really jumped back once he started coming at her without her "command"! It made the rest of us jump, too!

Anika wasn’t so sure about sitting in a show, but she and I agreed that the Horror Makeup Show is great fun! You learn several interesting secrets and the hosts (at least the ones we had!) make it pretty entertaining! The show is only about 30 minutes long, so it could be a wonderful break from the heat or from standing on your feet. I’d love to see it again!

We exited Hollywood and made our way to Springfield:

We didn’t figure out how to enter the fantastic Simpson’s food court tonight, but did decided to stop to ride the Simpsons Ride:

This is a simulated “roller coaster” where you ride with the Simpsons clan in Krustyland. Unfortunately, Sideshow Bob has escaped and is out to get you! It’s includes the feeling of a lot of darts and drops – anything thrill riders like us would love!

We continued walking toward our final destination for the evening. On the way, we spotted the Knight Bus (with a HUGE line to meet Stan Shunpike!):

I also grabbed a shot of Kreacher peeking through the window at 12 Grimmauld Place (at such a bad angle that all you can see is his hand!):

We followed the crowds of people and FINALLY reached the long-awaited reason for our trip to Universal… DIAGON ALLEY!

Up Next: Exploring Diagon Alley