Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Jun. 21st, 2011 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshorty When I go on vacation, I generally stay off the internet and instead keep my journal in my little notebook. Then I transcribe it back here. So I apologize for posting so many entries all at once as I catch up.
One thing about having a vacation at amusement parks is the need to get up at 6:30 or 7 in the morning to get a shuttle and get to the parks early. And after twelve hours there come home with very tired feet. But it is certainly worth it and it is a lot of fun.
Today we went to Universal’s Islands of Adventure since the first thing I wanted to do was go to Harry Potter World. We got on the 7:50 shuttle that I booked yesterday and we were there by 8:15. We had breakfast at Three Broomsticks scheduled for 9 so we picked up our park tickets and headed to Harry Potter World (along with tons of other people).
The whole area is amazing. They did a great job with Hogsmeade (covered in snow in 90 degree weather). Lots of shops like Zonko’s and Honeydukes and post office. Even in the restrooms they have Moaning Myrtle giving comments. So we spent pretty much all morning in this part of the park. We looked around the stores until 9, then headed to Three Broomsticks to have traditional English breakfast with pumpkin juice. (I gave Bear my bacon). And then we make our way to Hogwarts Castle for the Forbidden Journey ride. In the morning was the longest wait – it said 90 min but it was maybe 55 minutes. (Later in the day it was only 30 minutes, when we went again.) But the wait didn’t even seem that long as first we went through the dungeons with Mirror of Erised and past the Potions classroom, then through the greenhouse and then in the castle past the hourglasses with house points, Dumbledore’s office, DADA classroom and talking portraits. The ride itself was awesome – with motion bench and projections that makes it seem you are flying around Hogwarts and are facing dragons, spiders and dementors. Lots of fun.
Hogsmede
Hogwarts Express
Zonko's
Pygmy puffs
Hogwarts
After the castle, we got butterbeer (I got a mug too), which was butter scotch soda – really good. Then Bear went of the Dragon rollercoaster twice since there was no wait. I’m not a fan of rollercoasters, especially ones that go upside down, so I usually sit those out. We did some shopping too and I got a Ravenclaw pin, a patch and a few postcards and later in the day I got a Ravenclaw t-shirt (there is a theme here!). Bear got a Timeturner keychain.
Post Office
Butterbeer
Hogsmeade
music at Hogwarts
Jurassic Park ride
By the time it was past noon it got really hot and sunny and Bear was sweating and wanted to go inside somewhere. So we went to Jurassic Park discovery Center which had silly games like what it would be like to mix you with a dinosaur. And we had lunch there. It is a little hard to eat healthy at the amusement parks but I tried and I got a grilled chicken sandwich.
We went on Jurassic Park River Adventure ride, even as I’m not a fan of big drops. But it was a fun ride. I couldn’t even scream on the drop because no air would go in. We had ice-cream and a slushy then and walked around Toon Town and Superhero sections before going on a really awesome Spiderman ride. It was 3D and a motion car and the heros and villains interacted with you and it was one of the coolest rides. Then, while Bear went on Dr Doom – the tower where you go up really high and then get dropped (I can’t do that either) – I played arcade games like Ms. Pacman and Shrek pinball.
After a few character photos – I got a picture with Wolverine and Bear with Storm and Raven – we went on one of my favorite rides aside from Harry Potter: the Barges in Toon land. It is a water ride and you get soaking wet. I loved that even if I had to walk around in wet socks afterwards!
We made our way back to Harry Potter where Bear rode the Dragon two more times and we went to the castle again. Finally at 7:20 we left the park and got some Chinese Food at CityWalk before catching our 8:40 shuttle back.
After a whole day of walking my feet were very tired and Bear gave me a nice food massage to make sure I can do this again tomorrow. Today was certainly fun.
One thing about having a vacation at amusement parks is the need to get up at 6:30 or 7 in the morning to get a shuttle and get to the parks early. And after twelve hours there come home with very tired feet. But it is certainly worth it and it is a lot of fun.
Today we went to Universal’s Islands of Adventure since the first thing I wanted to do was go to Harry Potter World. We got on the 7:50 shuttle that I booked yesterday and we were there by 8:15. We had breakfast at Three Broomsticks scheduled for 9 so we picked up our park tickets and headed to Harry Potter World (along with tons of other people).
The whole area is amazing. They did a great job with Hogsmeade (covered in snow in 90 degree weather). Lots of shops like Zonko’s and Honeydukes and post office. Even in the restrooms they have Moaning Myrtle giving comments. So we spent pretty much all morning in this part of the park. We looked around the stores until 9, then headed to Three Broomsticks to have traditional English breakfast with pumpkin juice. (I gave Bear my bacon). And then we make our way to Hogwarts Castle for the Forbidden Journey ride. In the morning was the longest wait – it said 90 min but it was maybe 55 minutes. (Later in the day it was only 30 minutes, when we went again.) But the wait didn’t even seem that long as first we went through the dungeons with Mirror of Erised and past the Potions classroom, then through the greenhouse and then in the castle past the hourglasses with house points, Dumbledore’s office, DADA classroom and talking portraits. The ride itself was awesome – with motion bench and projections that makes it seem you are flying around Hogwarts and are facing dragons, spiders and dementors. Lots of fun.
Hogsmede
Hogwarts Express
Zonko's
Pygmy puffs
Hogwarts
After the castle, we got butterbeer (I got a mug too), which was butter scotch soda – really good. Then Bear went of the Dragon rollercoaster twice since there was no wait. I’m not a fan of rollercoasters, especially ones that go upside down, so I usually sit those out. We did some shopping too and I got a Ravenclaw pin, a patch and a few postcards and later in the day I got a Ravenclaw t-shirt (there is a theme here!). Bear got a Timeturner keychain.
Post Office
Butterbeer
Hogsmeade
music at Hogwarts
Jurassic Park ride
By the time it was past noon it got really hot and sunny and Bear was sweating and wanted to go inside somewhere. So we went to Jurassic Park discovery Center which had silly games like what it would be like to mix you with a dinosaur. And we had lunch there. It is a little hard to eat healthy at the amusement parks but I tried and I got a grilled chicken sandwich.
We went on Jurassic Park River Adventure ride, even as I’m not a fan of big drops. But it was a fun ride. I couldn’t even scream on the drop because no air would go in. We had ice-cream and a slushy then and walked around Toon Town and Superhero sections before going on a really awesome Spiderman ride. It was 3D and a motion car and the heros and villains interacted with you and it was one of the coolest rides. Then, while Bear went on Dr Doom – the tower where you go up really high and then get dropped (I can’t do that either) – I played arcade games like Ms. Pacman and Shrek pinball.
After a few character photos – I got a picture with Wolverine and Bear with Storm and Raven – we went on one of my favorite rides aside from Harry Potter: the Barges in Toon land. It is a water ride and you get soaking wet. I loved that even if I had to walk around in wet socks afterwards!
We made our way back to Harry Potter where Bear rode the Dragon two more times and we went to the castle again. Finally at 7:20 we left the park and got some Chinese Food at CityWalk before catching our 8:40 shuttle back.
After a whole day of walking my feet were very tired and Bear gave me a nice food massage to make sure I can do this again tomorrow. Today was certainly fun.