UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO
Basically we went there for the sole purpose of going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The line just to get into that part of the park was 2 hours long at 11 a.m. so we held off and went to some other areas of the park until the line cleared out around 2. And let me just say, every single minute I spent waiting in line to get into rides, shops, bathrooms, whatever – TOTALLY WORTH IT!! Hogsmeade was adorable and all of the shops were a great mix of attraction and retail. The wait for the Dragon Challenge rollercoaster was only 10 minutes the whole time, and of course was made much easier by the fact that the line wound through dungeons and the Champions’ Tent on the way to the ride. There was a cute little family-friendly rollercoaster based on Hagrid teaching you how to train hippogriffs, and that was a nice way for me to warm up to the bigger rides. By far the best of all though was the “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” ride. We had a 90 minute wait, and most of that time was standing in a line that wound back and forth outside the castle and in fact was diverted out of the Wizarding World section of the park in order to make the line longer. However, once we got into Hogwarts Castle it was so cool to hear and see the portraits talking to each other, standing in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom watching a hologram of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and feeling some kind of fake snow that “Hermione” made fall. (That was like the coolest thing ever – it was just like snow but I don’t think they can make fake snow in Orlando in July so I have no idea how they did it.) Finally we got to the ride, which was a kind of simulator, where you are strapped into your seat and moved through the castle while all around you TV screens show you flying around the castle avoiding a dragon, complete with having head blasted at you when the dragon breathes fire in your direction. Terrifying and awesome and worth it in every way. The food was good, the rides were good, and everything was pretty accurate – no complaints from me! The lines of course were long but to be fair it’s Universal Studios in the summer time, and the park had only been open for a week.
So that was my day of Harry Potter nerd paradise. I highly recommend it and I’m looking forward to going back in the off-season in a few years when there aren’t any lines.
So after that we stayed in a Knights Inn whore-tel near the Café Risque (“We Bare It All”) in Williston, FL because the campground we tried was creepy and totally deserted. Headed out around 11 this morning and now we just got off the highway in Tallahassee! We’re going to a pub to watch the U.S.-Ghana World Cup game – I’m taking bets on who Dre will be rooting for. Haha.
Well we’re about 3 miles from the bar so I’m going to sign off for now and start getting pumped for the game!
Sorry I didn’t post for a while – lots of things to do and enjoy and not as much driving as usual. I’ll be better about it for the next few days since we’re doing more driving, although I’m not totally sure when we’ll have wireless again. But never fear, I’m still here! And feel free to Facebook me or text me if you find yourself going through Katie withdrawal (I know it’s a common problem, maybe I can get you a prescription for methadone or something haha.)
GO USA!!
Yours in Wandering,
Katie
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