DAY 6- Universal First Timers & Epcot for dinner

[ToffPrincess]

So I need to start off by explaining that I planned the whole trip for my family alone and I know nothing about Universal. I know vaguely what it is and that Harry Potter Universe is there but other than that.. really I know nothing. So while still in the UK I booked 5 tickets with park hop on Hogwarts express (apologies I am probably getting the terminology all wrong but bare with me!) on a whim hoping it would be a nice change of scenery. I didn't have enough time to watch the DIS Universal edition (it's my bible for all things Orlando) so I was a bit anxious about today. I didn't want to waste a precious moment of this trip!

After breakfast in Gasparilla Island Grill (no bueno. Love the snacks and daytime food options but breakfast was an oily mess!) we headed straight to Universal and power walked our way to the world of Harry Potter! It was absolutely freezing today and we are all shaking with cold despite being in long pants and jumpers.

As we finished walking past NYC and San Francisco and turned into London I had a little gasp. It looks exactly like central London as you approach the train station, down to the street stands, the fountain even the toilets! I was so very impressed with Grimmauld Place I felt like I was home walking by it to take a photo. I love London (where I was born and live) but DH hates it and he remarked how creepy Grimmauld Place was just as I said, 'I LOVE it, feels like home.' Uh oh.
Diagon Alley was perfection. You just don't know where to look first! We went in almost all the shops and spent a fortune on souvenirs. I got myself some Slytherin jumpers and notebooks.. all the others went Red & Gold. We tied hot Butterbeer which DS and myself LOVED. Then after buying wands for a display in the house (Sirius and Hermione) we ended up on the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade.

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I don't know which Harry Potter thing we preferred! I got DS a Hedwig who is now his favourite toy of the day and we went into the school to take a look. BEST QUEUE EVER! It was just so well thought out I genuinely had butterflies and goose pimples entering different rooms. I got a little teary too! It is like a dream come true! I went on the ride with my mum and uncle while DH stayed with DS and it was such a great flying simulator. I had this stupid grin on my face the whole time so no photo from that ride!:spin:
We then had lunch at The Three Broomsticks which was awful but we were all so excited we didn't care. I loved my fizzy pumpkin juice and wish I had bought some to take home.

When we had our Harry Potter fill we ended up in Seuss Landing. DS was in heaven. It is adorable.. really & truly adorable. DS has seen the Grinch (or the bits of it I will allow him) but again its not really familiar territory for us. Judging by how much he loved the characters it will be from now on. He fell into the arms of this yellow fluffy thing with a Hat on and cuddled him for ages. The interaction was really great there. If anyone can identify it please do!

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As we queue for some sort of little train journey I get a call from England that one of my two dogs broke his leg and needs surgery. I know he is in good hands (hotel is run by a retired vet) but I am still pretty upset. I can't quite focus as we finish wandering around the different areas of this Park. DS & DH do all the rides in Seuss Landing and we walk around the park 2x before calling it quits. On the way to the exit DH goes on some sort of Popeye ride alone and comes out soaking wet from head to toe. He wanted to drag DS on it (DS freakishly tall for someone who just turned 3 and can pretty much go on everything) but I rescued him last minute. I can't believe the man who yelled at me for the Barnstormer wanted to take him on that!?

In short I can not wait to go back. I'm still a Disney girl but it was a lovely change. Probably we will have to wait for our Easter 2018 visit when I can arrange babysitting and maybe two days of tickets in a row. DS would love to go back and I would like to do an adults only day to try some grown up rides.

Now in Hotel resting. I've facetimed my dog who looks very happy. Possibly a bit medicated but still, happy. The other doggie is with him. They assured me I don't need to fly home. I am still debating it. I love those two a ridiculous amount so I feel a bit down.

Everyone else is too tired for dinner plans so my Uncle and I have decided to go eat and drink our way around Epcot in a few hours time! Updates coming soon..

UPDATED​

So our Epcot dinner started with an Icelandic beer from the Norway pavilion which was just gorgeous! I can't find any info on it in the Epcot Food & Wine handbook but it you like pale beers you have to try it. They also serve a darker lager and the woman drinking it told me it was excellent. We then walked around taking photos until we go to China. Being huge Chinese food fans we both got the Spicy Chicken Bao Bun and a portion of potstickers to share. YUM! Then we went to Germany for the wine flight (first two were a little too sweet for our tastes but the third dry one was lovely) and some Schinkennudeln & Roast Bratwurst. The food was good and authentic (we have family in Germany so spend a lot of time eating German food) but a little on the dry side as if it had been overcooked. Off we went to get me some more henna at the Moroccan pavilion. Then we took some more Uncle & Neice photos in France before going to Ireland for the Roasted Irish Sausage (10/10 better than the bratwurst at the German stand) and we ended our 'dinner' with warm chocolate pudding and two Guinness Lagers. We decided to head back to the hotel before the fireworks to avoid the crowds. I checked my step counter on my phone.. our universal adventure combined with Epcot dinner gave us a total of 12.5km. Not bad at all!! We have been hitting 7/8 every day which really lets me feel like all the deserts I am eating and very much deserved.

Tomorrow Epcot!!!


Next day HERE

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Thank you for the report, ToffPrincess!

How were the crowds at Universal?

 

[ToffPrincess]

OnSpaceshipEarth- Not bad at all until about 1pm. Then it became very, very full very quickly!! But I have to say 9am, 10am, 11 wasn't terrible at all. Seuss Landing was pretty empty but of course Harry Potter anything had the biggest crowd. We waited 15/20min for that ride in the Hogwarts castle.

 

[ToffPrincess]

UPDATE ON POST!

UPDATED PART- EPCOT DINNER!​

So our Epcot dinner started with an Icelandic beer from the Norway pavilion which was just gorgeous! I can't find any info on it in the Epcot Food & Wine handbook but it you like pale beers you have to try it. They also serve a darker lager and the woman drinking it told me it was excellent. We then walked around taking photos until we go to China. Being huge Chinese food fans we both got the Spicy Chicken Bao Bun and a portion of potstickers to share. YUM! Then we went to Germany for the wine flight (first two were a little too sweet for our tastes but the third dry one was lovely) and some Schinkennudeln & Roast Bratwurst. The food was good and authentic (we have family in Germany so spend a lot of time eating German food) but a little on the dry side as if it had been overcooked. Off we went to get me some more henna at the Moroccan pavilion. Then we took some more Uncle & Neice photos in France before going to Ireland for the Roasted Irish Sausage (10/10 better than the bratwurst at the German stand) and we ended our 'dinner' with warm chocolate pudding and two Guinness Lagers. We decided to head back to the hotel before the fireworks to avoid the crowds. I checked my step counter on my phone.. our universal adventure combined with Epcot dinner gave us a total of 12.5km. Not bad at all!! We have been hitting 7/8 every day which really lets me feel like all the deserts I am eating and very much deserved.