Walt Disney World Vacation: Universal
I know, I know. Universal is not technically Walt Disney World. But there is no way I could go all the way down to Orlando Florida and not go to Universal's Island of Adventure. Why you ask? Because I absolutely had to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's no secret that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Since I was in fifth grade, Harry Potter has been my coping mechanism. I have listened to Jim Dale read the books on tape more times that I can remember. I could probably recite every line from every book in my sleep. Literally.
When I went to college, I was terrified I would have to get used to falling asleep without Harry Potter. Fortunately, that nightmare never came true. My first year roommate allowed me to play the tapes one night as we fell asleep and she loved it! After that, we played the tapes every night, even when we had three of her guy friends sleeping on our floor. And guess what - they loved it too (they were more than slightly inebriated, but still).
Anyway, there was no way I was going to Orlando without visiting Hogwarts. Objectively, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was not my favorite ride. The castle was impressive and the anticipation was intense but the plot line itself was weak. The ride was a random string of scenes from all of the movies. The feeling of flying on a broomstick was awesome but I wish the story had made more sense or had been more exciting. In truth, my favorite ride in the Wizarding World was Dueling Dragons. It was exhilarating - a true adventure.
But The Wizarding World is not only about the rides. I was able to explore Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop. I drank frozen butter beer (almost unbearably sweet) and pumpkin juice (perfect). I wandered the streets of Hogsmeade and got lost in the fantasy. We explored the rest of Universal's Islands of Adventure but The Wizarding World was definitely the highlight.
When I went to college, I was terrified I would have to get used to falling asleep without Harry Potter. Fortunately, that nightmare never came true. My first year roommate allowed me to play the tapes one night as we fell asleep and she loved it! After that, we played the tapes every night, even when we had three of her guy friends sleeping on our floor. And guess what - they loved it too (they were more than slightly inebriated, but still).
Anyway, there was no way I was going to Orlando without visiting Hogwarts. Objectively, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was not my favorite ride. The castle was impressive and the anticipation was intense but the plot line itself was weak. The ride was a random string of scenes from all of the movies. The feeling of flying on a broomstick was awesome but I wish the story had made more sense or had been more exciting. In truth, my favorite ride in the Wizarding World was Dueling Dragons. It was exhilarating - a true adventure.
But The Wizarding World is not only about the rides. I was able to explore Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop. I drank frozen butter beer (almost unbearably sweet) and pumpkin juice (perfect). I wandered the streets of Hogsmeade and got lost in the fantasy. We explored the rest of Universal's Islands of Adventure but The Wizarding World was definitely the highlight.
Comments
Post a Comment