The Wizarding World of Harry Potter @ Islands of Adventure | Universal Studios | Orlando, FL.

(HOGWARTS CASTLE)

I'm still surprised when I hear from some people that they haven't seen any of the Harry Potter movies. The books, I understand, not everyone enjoys reading. If you've read all of the books and refuse to watch any of the movies, well, that's just plain weird. Then again, maybe I'm the weird one because I rather enjoy reading about wizards that have magical powers. In any event, I think the Harry Potter stories are fabulous. The amount of imagination it took for J.K. Rowling to conjure such a fantastical and mystical world is beyond my comprehension. What I do know, though, is that the Harry Potter stories have captivated me since the beginning.

I've only read up to the 5^th installment of the HP series. However, I have seen all of the films (most more than once), including the most recent movie that brought the epic adventure to a bittersweet end. It was pretty sad to realize that we would see no more movies or read any other books, but it is comforting to know that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure is there to satiate any feelings of loss we might encounter.

(THREE BROOMSTICKS)

From the moment I heard about the Universal theme park opening up this new area, it became my mission to get there. Instead of having to imagine walking through Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts castle, we would have an opportunity to see it in real-life. Okay, so it's not the real deal, but Universal Studios did an incredible job of recreating this imaginary world.

(HOGSMEADE GATE & BUILDINGS)

I was completely enamored by the surroundings as soon as I stepped through the towering gate. The buildings stood tall and were all made of stone. Capturing images of the structures was quite difficult due to the amount of tourists lining the streets. It was impossible to get photos without a hundred heads popping into the frame.

(SNOW ON THE ROOFTOPS IN HOGSMEADE)

One thing that I found particularly odd about the buildings was that they chose to adorn the rooftops with snow. In the summertime it just didn't seem to make much sense. However, I can see that being something special they could do in the wintertime.

(CANDY IN HONEYDUKES)

We stopped in a few of the stores that didn't have lines overflowing out the door. Zonko's Joke Shop & Honeydukes were the only ones we managed to peruse. I made a decision not to buy anything from the candy shop at the time, but I'm kicking myself now for not getting a chocolate toad or flavored beans.

(HOGWARTS CASTLE)

After making our way through the streets of Hogsmeade, we headed toward the Hogwarts castle to take a ride on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. After waiting outside in a long and windy line, we actually got to go inside the castle. My camera was in the locker, so I didn't get any pictures of the inside, but it was wicked awesome. The ride itself was equally awesome. Read more about them in a previous post: My Favorite Islands of Adventure Theme Park Rides.

(BUTTERBEER!)

Once we rode a couple rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and visited a couple of the shops, the only thing left for me to do was grab a cup of butterbeer! I patiently waited in a 15 minute line so I could get a taste. It was well worth the wait, too, because I loved it. The flavor reminded me of cream soda, and the foamy froth on top was sweet. I'd love to have another one right now!

The only downside to the WW of HP was the large amount of people. Other than that, the whole place was amazing, especially for someone who's enthralled by the Harry Potter stories. I'm dying to go back already!

If you had a magical power, what would it be?
Have you followed the Harry Potter books or movies?
 Please share in the comments!

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My Favorite Islands of Adventure Theme Park Rides | Orlando, FL

Riding roller-coasters (or any other ride, for that matter) has been an excitement-filled thrill that I've enjoyed since I was the proper height. Yes, I would be completely terrified about what I was getting ready to encounter, but I would only hesitate for a brief moment before taking the plunge. It didn't take long before I became a full-fledged thrill-seeking junkie that required more than what the tame rides reserved for kiddies could offer. Anyone who enjoys going for a wild ride (or two) will discover that Islands of Adventure—part of the Universal Theme Park—does not disappoint when it comes to stimulating your senses to the point of overload.

In a previous post, Preview of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, I reminisced about the adolescent switch from Disney World to the Universal theme parks that took place when I was a teenager, and how it was my turn to introduce this familiar territory to my nephew. Over the years, my love for theme parks has never waned. I don't mind the long lines and large crowds. It is what it is. I can set aside my social anxieties and impatience for a day or two so that I can spend it in a fantasy land. After all, that's what Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios are, imagination brought to life. A place where you get to walk among cartoon characters and step into the pages of a children's book or comic strip. It's as if you become part of the story. A level of entertainment that you just can't get anywhere else!

So, starting from the beginning of our day, I'll take you on a tour of my favorite Islands of Adventure rides.

1. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride — We started off in the opposite direction that the crowd was heading in, so our first stop was Seuss Landing. It's one of my favorite areas because I love Dr. Seuss's books, and they really did a great job of bringing them to life. It's so whimsical and colorful with tons of interesting things to grab your attention along the way. The trolley train ride was the second one we rode in Suess Landing. We walked right on without having to wait. I liked this kiddie ride because it gave you a great overview of the surrounding area, a different perspective in which to appreciate the park. It was a good one to start with because it also helped my nephew get used to the experience without being jarring like some of the other rides.

2. Poseidon's Fury — Next door to Suess Landing in the Lost Continent where we took a journey through an ancient temple. Poseidon's Fury isn't a ride as much as it is a theatrical tour that you walk through with a guide. At times, it was a little cheesy, but the seemingly scary situations you found yourself faced with were pretty intense. We hesitantly walked through a tunnel surrounded by rushing water without getting wet, and then watched in anticipation as the bad guy was defeated with fire balls and other theatrics. My nephew was so into it. It was exciting for me to see him all worked up. He was squeezing my hand while screaming as he anxiously awaited the outcome. To my surprise, Ju-ju picked Poseidon's Fury as his favorite ride of the day any time we asked.

3. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey — Ever since I found out that Islands of Adventure would be opening the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was determined to experience it firsthand. While I haven't finished all the books, I absolutely adore the movies, so to have an opportunity to walk down the streets of Hogsmeade and shuffle through the corridors of the Hogwarts castle was an extra-special treat for me. A little overcrowded, yes, but the other onlookers weren't going to tarnish my fun time. It was chaos when you walked into the castle, utter chaos! We found a locker as quickly as we could and hopped in the long and windy line. While this did require the longest wait of the day, the line consistently kept moving, which helped a lot.

Once we finally made it inside, I was amazed at how closely they portrayed what I remembered from the movies, the moving paintings were wicked awesome. Having all those neat things to look at made the rest of our wait bearable. The actual Forbidden Journey ride was definitely worth the lengthy line. Everything happened so quickly, though, it was over in a flash. My nephew didn't do as well on this ride. It was a little scary with the enormous dragons in your face and deadly dementors attempting to suck the life out of you. He cried the entire time. We felt so horrible, but he was a trooper. I, on the other hand, thought it was so much fun, although I wished that I could have ridden it a second time. (I'll be sharing more about the WW of HP next week, so be sure to subscribe or follow postings on Facebook)

4. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls — After spending time in the Jurassic Park area where we got soaked to the bone on a water ride, we decided to get the other water rides out of the way too, and headed over to Toon Lagoon. It was mid-day and sweltering outside, so relief came at the perfect time. This ride was probably the second longest wait we were required to endure. However, it was also one of the best rides of the day. You hop in a log and hold on as it travels through water-filled chutes. The real fun comes when it's time to take a daring drop, you know, the kind where your stomach gets left behind because you're barreling down a flume. It was awesome! And Ju-ju (my nephew) loved it. He actually wanted to ride it again, but the wait time was too extensive to do so.

5. The Incredible Hulk Coaster — I was on my own with this ride because no one else in my group wanted to go a bonafide roller-coaster that takes you upside down. With only a 5 minute wait time, I couldn't resist. It wasn't a problem for me to go alone because I didn't want to miss it and kick myself later for not going. I'm super glad I went, too. It was so exhilarating! I forgot how alive you feel when being launched through the air. This roller-coaster is no joke either, at the very beginning it catapults you from zero to 40 mph in only two seconds! It was the last thing I rode on our first day. What a ride!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of the Islands of Adventure rides that I relished during my recent trip to Orlando. As hard we tried, it was impossible to ride them all, even if you go during the week on a slow day like we did. Our wait times for the majority of the rides didn't exceed 20 minutes, typically, which is unheard of in those places. I've been during times where I've waited in excess of an hour for a 10 minute turn, that can suck the fun out of your day. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to not have to deal with such nonsense. It was much more enjoyable that way!

Which one of these 5 rides sounds like your speed?

Would you prefer something slow and steady like the trolley ride? 
Or would you rather go for something a little more daring like Dudley Do-Right's?
Please share in the comments or on the WW Facebook page!

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Preview of Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Theme Parks | Orlando, FL

I became a fan of theme parks at a very early age. Disney World was the first one that I can remember visiting, it was one of my absolute favorites growing up. Our Dad took us to the Magic Kingdom every single year until I was about 12 years old. Once my sister and I got older and outgrew the beloved cast of cartoon characters, he introduced us to Universal Studios. Disney World became a distant memory after being exposed to Universal Studios. It was vastly different from what I was accustomed to, but I recall thinking that it was so much cooler than DW.

Fast forward to the present day where I recently had the opportunity to introduce the Universal theme parks (Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure) to my 9 year old nephew, Ju-ju. It's been years (and years) since I've stepped through the gate of any theme park, so I was excited about the day we'd be spending there. However, I was more excited about experiencing these cherished places through his eyes, and making new memories that we could share for years to come.

We spent a total of two days in Orlando, the first day was spent visiting Islands of Adventure, and the second day we ventured to Universal Studios. One of the main reasons why I wanted to go to IOA was because I was dying to see the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter area they recently opened up. But I also thought that Ju-ju would enjoy Suess Landing, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, & the Marvel Super Hero Island, since he's a fan of cartoons, dinosaurs, and spiderman!

We planned the perfect time to go, apparently, because our wait-time for ride lines was extremely short in most cases. That's not to say, though, that there weren't a lot of tourists there, it was still packed with people. Our plan to arrive at the gate super early, and travel in the opposite direction that the flow of foot-traffic followed helped us avoid heavy crowds. The only thing we weren't really prepared for was the fatigue that resulted after a few hours of walking around and standing in line. It was so worth it, though. Thankfully, there were plenty of opportunities to take much needed breaks throughout the day.

It was so much fun journeying through the uniquely themed Universal parks. We rode a ton of rides and shared a lot of laughs along the way. There are many highlights to showcase from our fun-filled days at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. In the next post, I will feature some of my favorite rides, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so stay tuned!

When was the last time you went to a theme park?

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