Florida trip - day 6, Universal Studios

Our last trip to Florida we skipped Universal.  Its a HUGE price jump to just go there one day and doesn't really seem worth it.  And in fact, in hindsight...I still don't know it was worth it.  But Brooke had finished all the Harry Potter books and movies.  And I had always wanted to see the Harry Potter world there too, so we decided to do it.  Splurge a little, take a day off of Disney and see what all the hoopla was about.

The first cool thing the girls liked was the moving walkway leading up from the parking lot to the park...

Brenna grumpy she had to ride... :P

We got there soon after opening.  Harry Potter world, island, whatever...is at the very back of the park. So we passed some cool stuff on our way back wanting to get to it right away.

Through books I had read and blogs, some of the rides and exhibits can build up quite a line if you don't get there early so we wanted to be sure to see it all.

We headed straight back and I have to admit...it was so cool.  So realistic.  So close to everything you read and saw in the movies.  Even down to the little details.  I loved how you went in the bathroom and heard Moaning Myrtle talking to you through the walls.  :P

Our first stop was for some butterbeer of course!  It was soooo good.  I wish I could've brought some home.  Before we left, we ended up trying both the 'on the rocks' kind and the frozen kind.  Brad preferred on the rocks, I preferred frozen.  And of course, its not REAL beer.  Its more a butterscotch flavored cream soda....ish.

And I have since heard you can ask for butterbeer at Starbucks during holiday season off their 'secret' menu.  I'm going to be trying that next Christmas.  ;)

Next we went to Ollivanders Wand shop.  You can go through the live demonstration of the wandmaker helping a young wizard (a kid from the crowd) choose a wand.  It was really fun.  I had sooo wish they had chosen Brooke, but eh.  Such is life.  Then of course, when you leave there, you are released through the actual wand shop where you can purchase a wand.  You still get some interaction from the wandmakers walking through the store.  One stopped with Brooke and helped her find the perfect wand.  Another stopped with Brenna.  She had been eyeing a certain wand that was 'cheetah print'.  And wouldn't you know it?  THAT was THE wand that selected her.  (If you've read the books, you know the wizard does not choose the wand...the wand chooses the wizard ;) )

From there, we had a pumpkin juice.  Which was just as good butterbeer and able to transport.  So yes, I brought some home.  Hee hee...

We also went to check out the castle (Hogwarts).  You can do the ride through it or do a walkthrough tour.  Brenna was not big enough for the ride and Brooke did not want to do it.  So we did the walkthrough.  Hard to get pictures cuz it was dark, but it was cool to see the moving pictures and such.  (just like the books)

We went and checked out the candy place (HoneyDukes) and got some unique candy (again, in the books, you know there is some unique candy on the train ride) and saw the gift shop that sold some of the twins jokes and gags.   Of course there was another gift shop with 'things' that we would look through and buy a couple souvenirs before we left.

We took a break from Harry Potter World then and went back to Seussville, which was actually just as fun if not more and would contain one of Brenna's favorite rides from the whole trip.

Everything from Seussville was just as realistic and detail filled as Harry Potter world.  It was amazing! We first did the train ride, which was tame and gave you a view from the sky of all of Suessville.

The carousel is always fun too...

Then Brad and the girls did Brenna's future favorite ride - One Fish, Two Fish...  it was a fun spinning arial ride that went in a circle and the fish spat out water as you went by.  Brenna.  LOVED.  It.  They did this ride at least half a dozen times and she still talks about it.

We also saw some of the favorite Dr Seuss characters - The Grinch, Cat in the Hat, the Loraz, Sam (from Green Eggs and Ham), Things 1 and 2.  So cute.

 Sam was silly.....

We then walked around the rest of the park checking out anything else we wanted to see or do.  Some fun things to look at throughout the park.



But we ended up back at Harry Potter world getting some more snacks and butterbeer.  :)

After leaving Harry Potter world for the last time, the girls did a few more rounds on One Fish Two Fish...

We stopped by the gift shop to grab a few souvenirs...and couldn't resist getting a picture of Brenna with the Sorting Hat on...

Thought the walk out made for some pretty pictures...

We also saw this on our way out..  it started out looking like a jet, then to a bubble (think jellyfish) that kinda exploded.  Come to find out later it was a satellite that they launched that day.  Pretty cool we saw it!  :)

We decided to hang around the outside of the park at CityWalk (similar to DownTown Disney) and eat before heading back to our hotel.  We chose a nice Italian restaurant with an outside seat so we could see/experience the 'snow' that was falling around the City Walk courtyard.  The ambience....ahhhh.....

Back at the hotel, playing with their new wands (and Brenna got an owl - similar to Hedwig from the books...and its actually really cool - its a puppet owl that moves its head all around and 'tweet's)...

And then our final two days in Florida would be our biggest yet!  Magic Kingdom...up next! :)