Harry Potter, a bit of MNSSHP, Shades of Green - Fall 2017 Pre-Trip AND TRIP Report!

Did you write a trip report too? I'd love to read about it! I'm just getting back on the boards after months of heavy costume sewing and our trip.

Yep......my trip reports are in my signature........most recent two reports have pictures........previous ones have no pics thanks to Photobucket......

Hope you enjoy reading them if you do.........


https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...nights-at-rpr-hhn-a-2016-trip-report.3554695/


https://www.disboards.com/threads/2...pr-hhn-and-irma-has-a-go-a-2017-trip.3639747/
 
AMAZING!!! Love the ticket idea too! Oh my son needs to read those books if he plans on going with me!

I would highly recommend reading at least the first book to fully appreciate the Wizarding World! How old your son? Would he sit for you reading to him? My kids actually sat down for nightly chapters through the beginning of their teens which was fun. The books give much more of the story than the movies, of course.

I'm done? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

More please popcorn::

Excellent trip report I would love to hang out with you any day! Love all the costumes, everyone looks amazing. You look amazing in your map dress - just beautiful and I love the shape of your glasses, yes I noticed those specs! You're on my radar sis! ::yes::

Thanks for all of your nice words! My crazy glasses are from Zenni, I just love them. I figure if I'm going to be a middle aged librarian, I'm going to LOOK like one LOL.

More trip report coming up!
 
Back to our final day at Universal! I forgot to mention that the last little gifts were a pair of Snow White socks for my sister and a Deathly Hallows necklace for my niece. We arrived at the gates of USF and began to make our way clockwise, with Rip Ride Rocket as the first priority for sis and niece. It wasn't running! So we made our way to Shrek, then checked again. Not running! (Minions consistently had a long line, so we never rode that).

We went on Jimmy Fallon's ride, which I liked more than Shrek. From descriptions on the boards, the timed entrance seemed confusing, but you really just wait in a Green Room (with some benches!) until your color comes up and you go on the ride. RRR still not operating, so we went on the Mummy ride in the regular line. We loved this ride!

WDW mummy 1.jpg

We loved it so much we immediately got into the single rider line. On this and later on Gringotts, they still seated us together! When we came out, there were highly buff guys on stilts, and this was the result.

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We could see that RRR was now running, so the two roller coaster fiends backtracked there while I took a cig break in the Central Park area adjacent to New York. I mentioned before how nice it was to take a break in areas that were: away from others, pleasant, shady, large enough, and very handy. Contrast that to the utter frustration of being at Magic Kingdom, where every smoking section that was in the interior of the park was removed, with the two remaining on the very opposite ends of the park. A new one was added, and here it is, one lone bench in the baking sun, OUTSIDE OF SECURITY.

WDW smoking 1.jpg

Compare that to Universal's take: a lovely area with plenty of benches, so even if a non smoker happens to walk by, it's spread out. Pretty foliage, some shade. It's set back, so those walking through the park needn't go near it. And this is just one of many that Universal has contrived to have.

WDW smoking 2.jpg

Rant over! I had a nice break while the gals rode RRR. No music though, so they were a little disappointed about that, but they love coasters so I'm sure it was a win.
 
Travelgrrl, this was the guy with Captain America, right? Just double-checking.

cyclops-universal-studios-orlando-2012-2.jpg
 


I would highly recommend reading at least the first book to fully appreciate the Wizarding World! How old your son? Would he sit for you reading to him? My kids actually sat down for nightly chapters through the beginning of their teens which was fun. The books give much more of the story than the movies, of course.

Thanks for all of your nice words! My crazy glasses are from Zenni, I just love them. I figure if I'm going to be a middle aged librarian, I'm going to LOOK like one LOL.

More trip report coming up!

Yes we still read to our son. He's 14 years old and we love doing this as a family. It might sound silly to some but as long as he loves it we'll continue to do it.

Middle aged Librarian - I think not! You look absolutely gorgeous! ::yes::
 


It's Cyclops. :)

If any more proof be needed that I'm an old crone who can't even identify a superhero, even after his name was kindly pointed out to them, here it is. When I couldn't cope with the high tech stress of PONG in the 1970's, I gave up on video games, and also missed everything to do with superheroes, too. Sigh.

@Travelgrrl
Is that it? You're teasing right?! popcorn:: :drinking1But I bought popcorn and coke....

Nah, more adventures coming! I work all day and evening on Mondays. Off today!
 
Yes we still read to our son. He's 14 years old and we love doing this as a family. It might sound silly to some but as long as he loves it we'll continue to do it.

Oh Fox, I strongly urge you to start reading book #1. IT IS SO GOOD. I would say that my kids were in 4th and 6th grades when we got the first book in paperback, and by the time we finished reading it, book 2 had been out awhile, and by the time we finished that one, book 3 was out.

We continued reading them until my daughter was about 14 (and my 16 year old son would wander over into the doorway, acting nonchalant but listening!). Because of the Harry Potter books, we read as a family far longer than I probably would have. In between books we tackled classic older kids books like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and To Kill A Mockingbird. It's one of the things that makes me thankful to J. K. Rowling, for giving us years of extra family reading time.

And: the books are great. Enthralling. Exponentially better than the movies. Just try the first one, and if he's not into it after that, just the first book provides enough detail that Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are much more enjoyable.

If you want to read past that, but are not fully committed to tackling all 7, then books 1-4 are probably the lightest and most fun. Books 5-7 continue to grow more full of dread, although there are fun parts too.

I hope your son loves the Sorcerer's Stone!!!

hp meme 11.jpg
 
Oh Fox, I strongly urge you to start reading book #1. IT IS SO GOOD. I would say that my kids were in 4th and 6th grades when we got the first book in paperback, and by the time we finished reading it, book 2 had been out awhile, and by the time we finished that one, book 3 was out.

We continued reading them until my daughter was about 14 (and my 16 year old son would wander over into the doorway, acting nonchalant but listening!). Because of the Harry Potter books, we read as a family far longer than I probably would have. In between books we tackled classic older kids books like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and To Kill A Mockingbird. It's one of the things that makes me thankful to J. K. Rowling, for giving us years of extra family reading time.

And: the books are great. Enthralling. Exponentially better than the movies. Just try the first one, and if he's not into it after that, just the first book provides enough detail that Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are much more enjoyable.

If you want to read past that, but are not fully committed to tackling all 7, then books 1-4 are probably the lightest and most fun. Books 5-7 continue to grow more full of dread, although there are fun parts too.

I hope your son loves the Sorcerer's Stone!!!

View attachment 282045

Haha! Looks like Snape never changes!!! Yep, on to book one for my son! I know I enjoyed them! Reading to kids no matter what their age is a good thing!
 
While the girls were on RRR and I was sitting in the little 'Central Park', I saw the Blues Brothers in their Bluesmobile as they circled the area. They were broadcasting wisecracks from the giant loudspeaker on their car, drumming up interest in their show. When the girls rejoined me, we watched them perform and then posed by the famed car. We stopped for a snack of cinnamon pretzel bits and my niece had Dippin' Dots. While we were eating them, I had a brainstorm.

Jaws was nearby.

I had read that while Universal had taken out the old Jaws ride to make room for Kings Cross and Diagon Alley, they had left up the hanging shark somewhere. I got up from our little table and walked a few steps past the building and closer to the waterfront, and voila! There was Jaws! We all had to pose in its mouth.

WDW jaws.jpg

Incidentally, my daughter, her friend and I got to ride on the old Jaws ride in 2009. It was pretty cool! It was neat to still see this vestige of the classic attraction - as well as a hilarious album in the window of the record shop in Leicester Square: "Here's To Swimmin' With Bowlegged Women" by the Quint trio.

WDW Jaws 2.jpg

Next up: Our final visit to Diagon Alley!
 
Oh Fox, I strongly urge you to start reading book #1. IT IS SO GOOD. I would say that my kids were in 4th and 6th grades when we got the first book in paperback, and by the time we finished reading it, book 2 had been out awhile, and by the time we finished that one, book 3 was out.

We continued reading them until my daughter was about 14 (and my 16 year old son would wander over into the doorway, acting nonchalant but listening!). Because of the Harry Potter books, we read as a family far longer than I probably would have. In between books we tackled classic older kids books like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and To Kill A Mockingbird. It's one of the things that makes me thankful to J. K. Rowling, for giving us years of extra family reading time.

And: the books are great. Enthralling. Exponentially better than the movies. Just try the first one, and if he's not into it after that, just the first book provides enough detail that Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are much more enjoyable.

If you want to read past that, but are not fully committed to tackling all 7, then books 1-4 are probably the lightest and most fun. Books 5-7 continue to grow more full of dread, although there are fun parts too.

I hope your son loves the Sorcerer's Stone!!!

View attachment 282045


I do need to get back into them.

I remember being in school in these split classes we used to do (mixed ages for maths and English dependent on ability) and the teacher was talking with one of her students (in Primary School we didn't mix teachers it was the same teacher for all classes with the exception of previously mentioned classes) and they were discussing Harry Potter, I'm pretty sure it was first book awaiting the second book. I told my mum and we went out to get the book, I had been a big reader since I learnt to read. I got through the first four books and my mum and sister joined in. I had to stop because my school work got in the way, I was studying for my GCSE's (basically you need these to get any job going and once you get them you can do A Levels - quick google, these are like AP's SAT II? I don't know and then go on to Uni) so after that I didn't have time to read and the movies came out and I got behind. One day I will sit down and read them all, my dad listens to the audio book on repeat now. (We treated my parents on a wedding anniversary to the Studio Tour, I made them Hogwarts acceptance letters).

I don't know that I have the patience to listen to someone read to me anymore, I read faster than that. I remember spending my summer break reading a book for English only to get there and find half the class didn't read it and we were reading through it as a class, it was painfully slow. I ended up disliking the book so much (Cold Mountain).

Oh and while talking about HP, I when I was younger my Nan won tickets to CBBC Prom in the park and got to hear the first European airing of Hedwig's Theme.

Also very close to where I live features in Deathly Hallows Part 1 - without giving anything away its the scene with the tunnel and the bus would only go to the town listed on the front if the bridge was shut because normally the tunnels have traffic heading in the opposite direction. It does fit the scene as the weather is bad though.


Anyway back to your trip report!

I do enjoy the Mummy ride too, I was able to get on Despicable Me with a 20 minute wait first thing. I got a picture with Cyclops, it was such and awkward meet for me and I got a picture with Jaws last time. I was thinking about it this time but its a bit tricky trying to do that in selfie mode. :lmao:

Looking forward to reading what comes next :)
 
Bex, I was a great reader as a child, and I loved books about life in England - Noel Streatfeild was my favorite! (Also: Rumer Godden) My whole life, I dreamed of visiting there; a dream I was able to realize several times in my 40's and 50's. Recently I was at my hometown library, and they not only had copies of the Streatfeild books I loved, THEY WERE THE EXACT ONES I HAD CHECKED OUT IN THE 1970'S! Need I say that I checked them all out for a good old re-reading party?

Some day I hope you have time to read all the Harry Potters. I re-read all of them in anticipation of our trip and had a renewed appreciation of what a great job J. K. Rowling did with the series.

Sorry I haven't updated my trip report in a few days - my modem broke and I'm waiting a new one in the mail! Right now I'm sneaking on at work but don't have my notes or photos to go with it.

Will finish the report soon!
 
Bex, I was a great reader as a child, and I loved books about life in England - Noel Streatfeild was my favorite! (Also: Rumer Godden) My whole life, I dreamed of visiting there; a dream I was able to realize several times in my 40's and 50's. Recently I was at my hometown library, and they not only had copies of the Streatfeild books I loved, THEY WERE THE EXACT ONES I HAD CHECKED OUT IN THE 1970'S! Need I say that I checked them all out for a good old re-reading party?

Some day I hope you have time to read all the Harry Potters. I re-read all of them in anticipation of our trip and had a renewed appreciation of what a great job J. K. Rowling did with the series.

Sorry I haven't updated my trip report in a few days - my modem broke and I'm waiting a new one in the mail! Right now I'm sneaking on at work but don't have my notes or photos to go with it.

Will finish the report soon!


I haven't read anything by those authors, I shall have to add them to my list. Oh wow that is really cool that they were still there. I want to give the books the time they deserve so I may try and read them next summer. Once I get into a book I have trouble putting it down.

Oh no, I hope your new modem arrives soon.
 
I'm back on! We've had electrical problems, internet problems and cable problems all in the past week. It's always something!

Bex, the most famous Noel Streatfeild book is "Ballet Shoes" and there is a lovely miniseries of the book featuring Emma Watson. Also, "Theater Shoes", "Dancing Shoes" and "Movie Shoes" are all very good. They are chapter books for young readers so quite quick to read. Rumer Godden wrote many books for adults and children, but I can most highly recommend "The Greengage Summer", "A Candle For St. Jude" and "China Court" as excellent books I have read many times.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, and thanks for all the kind wishes.
 
In Leicester Square, I got to meet Stan (Nigel) and we posed at 12 Grimmauld Place as if we were frozen trying to open the door. We also managed to get a photo of Kreacher peeking out of his upstairs window.

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My shoes don't match, but after all those days of touring, my ugly brown shoes were the most comfy!

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Quick! Disapparate and don't get splinched!

We headed over to the Leaky Cauldron and had lunch. Many people have recommended the Ploughman's Lunch for one, and it was super good. (All except the one blob of super stinky cheese. I'm way too Midwestern for that.) This was my introduction to Scotch Eggs - YUM. My niece, who's been eating vegetarian, had her 5th mac and cheese of the trip. I ordered a Chocolate Pot for dessert and we each had a taste - very rich and delicious

We went and toured the shops. I saw parts of Diagon Alley I hadn't seen before! It's bigger than it appears - make your way down alleyways and into courtyards! Weasely Wizarding Wheezes is so screen perfect, it's amazing. A riot of color! The mini Delores Umbrage automaton is exactly like the movie, though I never could get a decent shot of her with my terrible old phone. Below is my sister's pic, and you can make her out near the top.

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