You remembered!
I so wish I could handle thrill rides... well, I wish my stomach could!
Of course I remembered!
I think thrill rides even become more difficult with age - I can't take multiple rides on the really crazy roller coasters as well as I used to!
I may have gotten a stern look from my travel companion though, with an extra warning of, "See! You better not take any pictures!"
OH. MY. GOSH. This looks incredible!!!
SO delicious! It's like a better version of a Hostess cupcake on chocolate steroids!
I would absolutely love this show! Sounds like a great time
It was great! I'm so glad we stopped for it!
Yes - half giants must require a lot of naps.
They really shouldn't let other people in the park until you're done there for the day.
I know! They should be more courteous to those of us who woke up so early!
Nope, not nearly!
I believe it was a JK Rowling request - no drinks that wouldn't have been available in the actual Wizarding World.
I would be so annoyed, LOL!
I was! You didn't even have the option to enter with your camera and then exit prior to riding!
Haha, clever marketing on their part.
Very much so! We bought several bottles of it for the novelty alone!
Oh no, hope it has improved. I went on this in 2011. I did remember liking it and that was after a lot of convincing from DH because sometimes I am a chicken.
I hope so, too! I liked the ride when we tried it in 2012, but we were both surprised how much our heads bounced around in 2015. Hopefully the new track made it smoother!
So weird! But kinda cool too.
True for both! We'd never ridden it before so we weren't immediately aware there was a problem - but when were were stopped and they kept repeating the same dialog... that wasn't a good sign!
That looks amazing! Is the Three Broomsticks table service or quick service?
Quick service! I think they may have a breakfast that requires some sort of reservation, but you can walk in for lunch or dinner anytime (we've only been there for lunch). We've always been very impressed with the food! It's a must-do for every trip!
Looks like they got decorating tips from Gaston!
That pesky Gaston...
It's like Universal's Peoplemover!
Yes! The only (negative) difference is you're buckled in pretty tight - not nearly as relaxing as the Peoplemover! The views are pretty great, though!
It's delicious! Very decadent!
Looks like a yummy dinner! Will have to keep it in mind!
Can't wait for Diagon Alley!
It was a wonderful surprise! I didn't have high expectations for a pre-made sandwich, but it really hit the spot. The potato salad was especially tasty!
Diagon Alley will be coming up this evening! (SO MANY PICTURES to sort through!
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So what happens? Is it just her voice? Or are there visuals as well?
Just her voice, but it's pretty neat regardless!
Obviously such an extreme ride that people resort to writing their last will and testaments or recording themselves for their loved ones should they fail to return. Very smart.
Not a fan myself, but... that's one nice carousel.
It's really colorful and fun! I always enjoy at least one ride on the Disney carousel each trip. Since the Universal carousel is so different, we had to ride that one, too!
Whoa. They really didn't want photos taken.
Disney stealing their ideas?
They were VERY serious about no pictures! I think they had a lot of comments about no pictures on the Jurassic Park River Adventure as well, but as we'd stowed our phones and camera that wasn't a problem for that ride. It was a bit bizarre!
It was such a fun touch!
Yes. Seriously drenched.
What??? Totally cheating!!
And no photos of you guys grinning ear to ear, soaked to the skin?
Yes, a bit of a trip report fail, there.
I'll be sure to get the "soaked" picture if Grant and I do the same thing this fall! (That's the plan, but it depends on the weather!)
I can see what you mean about seriously soaked. If the splash doesn't get you...
It's rather ridiculous how soaked you get on those rides. They're fun, though!
brrr.... You'd think they'd have heaters instead.... except for the poor schmucks who were dry and dying from the Florida heat...
YES! I know we appreciated it before our first ride, but good gracious it was FREEZING when we were sopping wet!
Oh, sure. Who wouldn't? Next time I'm on a plane or something, I hope my seatmates are soaking wet too. Would make for a more enjoyable flight.
In all reality, though, you can't get too bent out of shape if you're on a WATER ride and you're sitting next to other wet people. It's inevitable anyway!
Okay, that looks totally decadent
It's rather rich but SO GOOD!
Yes, not our favorite. We bought it for the novelty - I think maybe I'd go for the Butterbeer fudge next time. Or perhaps another Cauldron Cake!
Love the float plane. Grumman Albatross I think from the bit of research I did.
It was a nice touch!
Nice call Anika!
You owe her now.
Um, I'm pretty sure she's still in the hole from the whole "17 day free vacation" thing...
But, yes, she chose very well!
Really! That's so rare in a restaurant
It was such a great surprise! The whole restaurant was a pleasant surprise!
You guys have a dining point system? Huh.
Not really.
Just another way of saying she made a great choice!
That sounds like fun, actually.
It was really fun! I highly recommend the show!
The different displays were really neat! I wish we would've had more time to look around in there!
I wonder if she had any idea what she was being volunteered for.
Nope, I'm pretty sure she didn't!
I felt somewhat bad for her as it was obvious that she had no clue what was going on. She was a really good sport, though!
I was amazing how real it looked!
Wish I'd seen that!
We all jumped pretty high out of our seats! She looked like she was going to run away!
How bumpy/jarring was it?
Not nearly as bad as the Hulk coaster!
Really, not too bad. You definitely felt like you were on a roller coaster, though! It's a fun ride!
Really! That long a line? He's that popular?
I think because there are so few Potter "character" available for meet and greets he garners a lot of attention? I didn't get a picture with Stan due to a bit of frustration with Anika, but I intend to rectify that on our next trip!
Gotta hand it to you. That's quite the shot.
Thanks!
Whew! Caught up.
So nice that you could meet Dugette.
She was just delightful! It was almost surreal to meet her in person after reading about her for so many years!
Yes - they would've been REALLY warm in that Florida heat!
Perhaps they're a better choice in December for chilly evenings!
Oh, I would not be amused.
I was NOT amused. All I wanted to do was park the car, darn it!
I remember pausing for a photo in that line, when the line was moving slowly, and people tried to go past me. I think it's a Universal thing
Although many people take photographs at Universal, especially in the Harry Potter sections, it seemed less prominent than Disney. People certainly don't want your stopped to get in their way of the ride!
Oh wow, I didn't know that. Zonko's was there when I visited, but that was a number of years ago now!!
I read that on another report before our trip and then confirmed it in-person. It's too bad, in a way, as Zonko's was fun (and true to the books, as Zonko's is available in Hogsmeade), but I understand the lack of need for two joke shops.
SO small. The Diagon Alley shops are not huge, by any means, but they seemed to hold crowds a bit better than their Hogsmeade counterparts!
The meals at Three Broomsticks have always been very good! We were impressed in 2012 and remained so in 2015!
Since we were only there a day we didn't get to spend any time there. Our time was spent mostly in Hogsmeade.
Understandable - that's the best part of the park! It was nice to have some extra time to explore the rest of IOA.
It sounds great. I'd check that out.
It was a great show! I'd love to see it again as I think the experience would change depending on the volunteer and the audience reactions. (Plus, it's been a few years so I've certainly forgotten some of it!
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Enjoyed this update. You covered a bunch of things I'd never even heard of in the Universal reports I've read. Good idea to test out the water rides w/o ponchos while staying onsite!
Thank you!
We tried to do just about everything (at least, everything we were interested in) as we had several days. Don't get me wrong, we LOVED the Harry Potter sections, but we enjoyed exploring the other areas, too.
Experiencing the water rides without ponchos was fun, but I don't think I'd do it without being able to shower and change into dry clothes!