Florida Trip - Day 3 - 2/25/12

Our second (and last) day at Universal started about the same as our first.  We slept in, had breakfast at the hotel, and then drove to Universal Studios.  This day is was 20 degrees cooler but still sunny so we had another wonderful weather day.

We actually had a really great time at Universal Studios.  The park is laid out like different movie sets: Beverly Hills, New England, New York, etc.  They had so many fun rides and shows, we loved it!  We started with the Terminator 2 ride, it was a combination of 3D and live action and it seemed a little dated ... I don't know how much longer that one will last.

After that we went to the Horror Makeup Show which was one of the most entertaining shows we saw the whole time!  It was hilarious but more for adults.  I don't think many of the kids got the humor.

We then had some lunch at a forgettable place.  Not nearly as good as the day before.  We moved on the the Simpsons ride.  This is also a fairly new ride and it was lots of fun.

The whole Jaws Amity Island portion of the park was closed for repairs.  What a disappointment!  So, we moved on to the DISASTER! movie ride.  This was a fun one that had audience participation and some really great holograms ...

After that we found ourselves in old New York so we had some gelato and rested our feet for a while ..

We did not do the Mummy ride because "psychological thrill ride" did not sound like something like I wanted to do ... but I thought it was cool that they made it look like a museum entrance to fit into the New York set ...

We did get in line for the Twister ride.  This one also seemed very dated and I think this one will be replaced soon, too.  It was underwhelming ...

 

The Shrek ride was like pretty much just a 3D show but it was cute and very appropriate for the younger audience that want to see it.

So, we decided that we had had all the fun we wanted to have at Universal Studios and we went back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!  I finally got brave enough to do the Forbidden Journey ride with my eyes open and it was amazing!

 It was late in the day but the line wasn't too bad and people are constantly getting on and off so it moves pretty quickly.  The ride basically simulates a lot of movement and is a combination of IMAX like screens and built rooms that hold a dragon, spiders, etc.  Do not miss this ride, it is SO COOL!!!!

As we were leaving we saw characters taking pictures.  The whole place is so amazing!

Farewell Harry!

We had dinner at the Nascar Sports Grille that night.  My sister loves Jimmy Johnson ...

Sadly, we had to turn in pretty early.  My sister's flight was at 7 am.

Florida Trip - Day 2 - 2/24/12

The second day of our Universal Orlando trip started with us sleeping in, getting free breakfast at the hotel, and then leaving for the park.  We arrived at about 11:30 and parked the car.  The walk to the actual park isn't that bad, it takes about 10 minutes.  It was absolutely gorgeous weather, 88 degrees, sunny, and breezy.

 

After briefly checking out CityWalk, we headed for Island of  Adventure.

 We bee-lined through Seuss Landing and The Lost Continent ...

And finally saw the entrance to Thw Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

This place is AMAZING!!!!
Just take a look at the many, many pictures ...

 

We went to The Three Broomsticks for lunch ... I has Cornish Pasties and my sister had the Shephard's Pie.  And of course, we got Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice.  It was actually some of the best "theme park" food I've had ...

 After lunch, we explored the world and it did not disappoint ...

We waited in line for Ollivander's Wand Shop where they do a little scene and pick out a wand for one of the kids ...

 We then went to do the Forbidden Journey ride but the line was really long due to a fire alarm going off or something like that.  We went to do The Flight of the Hippogriff ride instead.  I cannot handle roller coasters so we skipped the Double Dragon Challenge.

 

We finally got in line for the Forbidden Journey ride that is "inside" the castle.  Now, I mentioned that I am afraid of roller coasters and I had no idea what to expect from this ride so I enjoyed the line and then shut my eyes for the whole ride and missed pretty much everything.  More on this Day 3 ...

The line for the ride is great, it takes you through various parts of Hogwarts while you wait.

 After the ride, I calmed my nerves with another Butterbeer.  These are non-alcoholic drinks you can get cold or frozen.  It tastes like a mix if ginger ale and cream soda with an ice cream topping.  They're very good.

We sadly left Hogsmeade and found ourselves in Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Comic.  We attempted to go on more rides but one broke down while we were in line and the other broke down while we were halfway through!

 

 

 

We ended the night by going to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville

We both took home souvenir glasses and left stuffed!  After the short ride back to the hotel, we crashed and got sleep for the next day at Universal Orlando!