As the newest Orlando trip approaches, I am reminded about the last few trips my mother and I took to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. I realize that none of the few people that read my blog know when I went, what we did, or really anything else about the trips. I decided that I will discuss a little about all three trips (including pictures), in preparation of the approaching vacation family fun.
My first trip to Orlando Studios/Islands of Adventure was in 2010. I was desperate to go once they added the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A little background information: Like millions of other people out there, I absolutely love Harry Potter. The books, the movies, the world created by J. K. Rowling. I love every little aspect of it.
The moment I walked into the park I was in awe. With a view like this:
how could I not be. The perfect representation of the most magical and amazing school ever created by an author, tangible and directly in front of me.
I couldn't wait to try Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. After a surprisingly short wait in the line for the ride, I discovered that it was broken, or at least down for repairs. They were nice enough to let people walk through to see the decorations inside.
The first day was a mixture of joy and disappointment. My mother's blood pressure medicine caused full body cramps and an asthma attack. After spending about an hour in the medical area behind the park (a rare, unique sight at least), the park was too full of people for us to get back into the Wizarding World area. We spent the rest of the day exploring the rest of the park.
The next few days were spent mostly in the Wizarding World only, just immersing ourselves in the tiny sample of the magical world.
We DID get to finally ride the Forbidden Journey. It was a unique ride that really felt like we were flying through the magical grounds of Hogwarts. My advice is to avoid the ride if you get motion sick easily (or at least don't make the same mistake I did, and ride it three times in a row in quick succession).
The two main shows (The Frog Choir and the performances of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons) were an interesting and creative addition. I enjoyed the school performances, but the Frog Choir was more entertaining. The singers had specific personalities based on their house affiliation, and their voices were delightful. The songs were great, and even Hedwig's Theme sounded lovely when sung A Capella.
One downside to the Wizarding World was the food. This trip was the only trip to Universal in which I ate the food at the Three Broomsticks, not because it was too expensive or too busy in the restaurant, but because it was not very good. I got the Shepard's Pie, and it honestly tasted like it was made at Taco Bell. It WAS pretty...but awful.
Of course, the main delicious attraction in the park was the Butterbeer. Honestly, frozen Butterbeer is so good that I dream about it sometimes. It's less than a month before I go back, and I think that might be the part that I look forward to the most.
A piece of advice to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure virgins: If you really, really like butterscotch, try the regular, cold Butterbeer. It is quite strong, and a bit too intense for me. The frozen is a perfect blend of butterscotch flavor and icy cream. I am actually really excited to try the warm Butterbeer that they apparently have now. Okay, now I'm sad that I have to wait about a month to have some.
Something I got to see during my first visit to the Wizarding World that no one will see again is the Zonkos Joke shop. They have since moved all of the joke shop items to the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I wish I had taken more pictures inside of the store, but I have a few that I will include, in case you are wondering what the store looked like.
If you were wondering, yes I did see other parts of the two parks on this trip, but the main focus was on the main attraction (or at least the main attraction for me). Here are pictures of some other highlights of the two parks, given in quick succession.
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