Diane in Potterland (Cliff's Notes version)
I managed to get myself to Universal Studios in Orlando late last month with a girl friend, for a whirlwind, three-day trip.
Never having been to Universal and excited about seeing The Wizarding World, there really wasn't much that disappointed me upon finally arriving. Certainly, it was clear from the get-go this place was NOT Disney, but that didn't mean it was without joys and thrills. There was construction at the City Walk entrance for a new miniature golf course, which subtracted a bit from the "fantasy" aspect of the place, but that didn't diminish my excitement.
We got there on a boiling hot, humid Wednesday morning and tore straight for The Wizarding World, which, as it turned out, was unnecessary, because the crowds were minimal. (Standing in a very short line waiting to see the short live theater piece in Ollivander's, we were told by a park employee that last year at this time, there were 8,000 people waiting just to get into the village itself, nevermind the coasters or the Forbidden Journey.) On the way into the Forbidden Journey, I had to force my friend to slow down, look at everything, and listen, so we'd know the whole story.
The props - and there were GOBS of them - were incredibly detailed and, well, just fabulous. The 3-D projections of Dumbledore and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were superb, but too bright. Dumbledore's office and of the Defense Against the Dark Arts room were so dark that the 3-D projections stood out in too stark a contrast. If they could just figure out a way to make those projections dimmer, a person would be hard-pressed not to think they were real. Really.
The "forbidden journey" itself was a hair-raising ride on an "enchanted bench" that took you out over the castle and onto the Quidditch pitch. 3-D and 4-D thrills accompanied this journey, which included plenty of rocking about, a firey breath from the mouth of a dragon, spiders, Dementors, and plenty more. All in all, a rollicking good time. But make sure you take your time going through the line, and *listen* to everything, so you know the whole reason why it's supposed to be "forbidden."
We ate in The Three Broomsticks, and it was delicious and delightful - complete opposite of some of the reviews I'd read. Everything was organized, the staff were friendly and quick, it wasn't too horribly expensive, and my shepherd's pie was tasty. Didn't try the butterbeer, because I'd heard it was far too sweet, and it looked it, too. The ice tea was perfect.
The shops were entirely too small, but in order to keep up the appearance of Hogsmeade, I could see why they needed to be. Actually, the village wasn't so much Hogsmeade as a combination of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, since Ollivander's is in Diagon Alley.
I warn you this: keep your head in the shops, else you could end up spending your life's savings on many, many things you do not need. I did good, purchasing only a Marauder's Map t-shirt, a chocolate frog keychain (which smells of chocolate, of course), and a jar of peppermint straws in Honeydukes. Oh, I also bought a postcard and had it hand-cancelled at the Owl Post in Hogsmeade. Nice, cheap souvenir (if you call $1.00 for a single postcard cheap). To give you an idea of the cost of things, imagine a set of ten first-class postage stamps at $14.95. Right? Okay, okay, they were special, Potter stamps that you couldn't get anywhere else, but still. And you couldn't buy just one, which I would've liked. It was ten or nothing. Oh, but the wands. I nearly forgot about the wands. None cheaper than $30, but they had every wand imaginable, from Voldemort's to Luna's, plus some that were merely various types of wood (ash, holly, cedar). I almost broke down on that, but I couldn't decide between Luna's or Cedric's or just an ash, and that saved me!
The special effects and cool props in The Wizarding World made much of the other attractions in the Island of Adventure look dated, but.....that didn't stop me from nearly wetting myself when the big ol' T-rex came roaring out of the darkness and smoke on the Jurassic Park River Adventure! And of course I knew it was coming! I think I screamed, too. Har!
All in all, I had a ball.
Never having been to Universal and excited about seeing The Wizarding World, there really wasn't much that disappointed me upon finally arriving. Certainly, it was clear from the get-go this place was NOT Disney, but that didn't mean it was without joys and thrills. There was construction at the City Walk entrance for a new miniature golf course, which subtracted a bit from the "fantasy" aspect of the place, but that didn't diminish my excitement.
We got there on a boiling hot, humid Wednesday morning and tore straight for The Wizarding World, which, as it turned out, was unnecessary, because the crowds were minimal. (Standing in a very short line waiting to see the short live theater piece in Ollivander's, we were told by a park employee that last year at this time, there were 8,000 people waiting just to get into the village itself, nevermind the coasters or the Forbidden Journey.) On the way into the Forbidden Journey, I had to force my friend to slow down, look at everything, and listen, so we'd know the whole story.
The props - and there were GOBS of them - were incredibly detailed and, well, just fabulous. The 3-D projections of Dumbledore and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were superb, but too bright. Dumbledore's office and of the Defense Against the Dark Arts room were so dark that the 3-D projections stood out in too stark a contrast. If they could just figure out a way to make those projections dimmer, a person would be hard-pressed not to think they were real. Really.
The "forbidden journey" itself was a hair-raising ride on an "enchanted bench" that took you out over the castle and onto the Quidditch pitch. 3-D and 4-D thrills accompanied this journey, which included plenty of rocking about, a firey breath from the mouth of a dragon, spiders, Dementors, and plenty more. All in all, a rollicking good time. But make sure you take your time going through the line, and *listen* to everything, so you know the whole reason why it's supposed to be "forbidden."
We ate in The Three Broomsticks, and it was delicious and delightful - complete opposite of some of the reviews I'd read. Everything was organized, the staff were friendly and quick, it wasn't too horribly expensive, and my shepherd's pie was tasty. Didn't try the butterbeer, because I'd heard it was far too sweet, and it looked it, too. The ice tea was perfect.
The shops were entirely too small, but in order to keep up the appearance of Hogsmeade, I could see why they needed to be. Actually, the village wasn't so much Hogsmeade as a combination of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, since Ollivander's is in Diagon Alley.
I warn you this: keep your head in the shops, else you could end up spending your life's savings on many, many things you do not need. I did good, purchasing only a Marauder's Map t-shirt, a chocolate frog keychain (which smells of chocolate, of course), and a jar of peppermint straws in Honeydukes. Oh, I also bought a postcard and had it hand-cancelled at the Owl Post in Hogsmeade. Nice, cheap souvenir (if you call $1.00 for a single postcard cheap). To give you an idea of the cost of things, imagine a set of ten first-class postage stamps at $14.95. Right? Okay, okay, they were special, Potter stamps that you couldn't get anywhere else, but still. And you couldn't buy just one, which I would've liked. It was ten or nothing. Oh, but the wands. I nearly forgot about the wands. None cheaper than $30, but they had every wand imaginable, from Voldemort's to Luna's, plus some that were merely various types of wood (ash, holly, cedar). I almost broke down on that, but I couldn't decide between Luna's or Cedric's or just an ash, and that saved me!
The special effects and cool props in The Wizarding World made much of the other attractions in the Island of Adventure look dated, but.....that didn't stop me from nearly wetting myself when the big ol' T-rex came roaring out of the darkness and smoke on the Jurassic Park River Adventure! And of course I knew it was coming! I think I screamed, too. Har!
All in all, I had a ball.