Harry Potter Day!

We checked out on time from Disney, took a cab to Universal, and we were very lucky our room was ready. I changed into my student uniform for photos since we hoped Thursday would be less crowded than Friday. Too bad that instead of taking the walkway we waited for the boat that took us to the wrong park where we wandered around not finding Hogwarts and wondering why the maps don’t make sense. By the time we got into the correct park it was 1:30 already!

The sunlight was harsh with high clouds and directly behind everywhere we wanted to take photos, plus I was already melting from humidity, so we popped into Honeydukes for shopping and inside photos first. Thank goodness it was nice and cool in there! I bought way too much and took photos of everything else, and it all appeared in our room the next morning without waking either of us up! Nice not to carry stuff round in the park all day.

The Hogsmeade shop front windows are very cute, then the Three Broomsticks was only a 10 minute wait for lunch and frozen butterbeer so we took our chance when we were told this was most likely the slowest time of day. My cornish pasties were very tasty and came with a green salad. We sat inside but didn’t see any animations except the shadow of a broom. Since there was only a short line at the bar at Hogs Head on the way out, I got the normal butterbeer so I’d have tried both. The frozen butterbeer tastes more like mine, but there is an odd metallic or weird artificial flavor I can’t place. The regular butterbeer has a bitter hit from the carbonation, and the foam they plop on top must have carrageenan or something since it remains slimy even after it cools down, like melted ice milk diet ice cream. I’ve never thought butterbeer needed a foamy head myself but I have tried keeping the bubbles in which is a challenge. Now I have a souvenir plastic butterbeer mug at least!

We decided since the light was still too strong for good photos that we would get in the longest line we expected for the big ride inside Hogwarts. It said it was only a 45 minute wait and the worst part was standing outside in the Herbology greenhouse. They do have fans and water fountains in line at least. Once we got inside it was moving just too fast for appreciating all the detail! I kept holding up the line trying to get good photos. Lots of moving portraits of course, many many details, and even the movie actors in character explaining the plot of the ride and inside the line. I also have never seen such a listing of warnings for any thrill ride! The ride itself was awesome enough that we rode it again in the evening with an even shorter line! The other rides are a kids coaster Buckbeak’s Flight, which had Hagrid’s Hut and an animatronic Buckbeak in his nest, and Dragon Challenge, a flying coaster with more cool stuff to look at but there was no wait so hard to see it all. We also stood in line for Ollivanders which is just a show where live Ollivander chooses a member of the audience to choose her wand with magical things happening in the walls.

Of course the weather has been lovely all week, not humid at all and requiring jeans to stay warm after dark, until the day I wore all the layers meant for Hogwarts students in Scotland, when it was so hot and humid! I stuck it out in my robe over my long-sleeved shirt and necktie but tied the sweater around my waist until the night photos. I was asked a couple times for photos, and many times people assumed I was an employee and asked me for help. Sadly I just missed a photo with the Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs literally next in line when they said sorry we have to leave. Even my fellow Gryffindor pleaded for me, but to no avail!

We stayed long enough taking photos that we got kicked out of Hogsmeade, and I took night photos of the other Islands of Adventure as we were walking out. We decided to check out the many restaurants here at the hotel and end up at Jakes American Bar, where I had my first flaming volcano cocktail and we got lucky with karaoke! It was a small crowd, one lady had already sung several songs before we were done with dinner, and when the crowd got even smaller, it was mostly her or me singing to keep it going. I ended up singing 12 songs, with Jules on 3, and Jules finally got up to sing by herself for 3 songs too! We were the last to leave and it was nice just to walk up to our room. Friday is our last night so we’ll try Universal Citywalk then, after trying to cram too many rides into a short window since the parks close at 7pm and we have an early morning to get to the airport.

Keep reading for more photos!

Mardi Gras themed food court at Port Orleans

Giant doubloons at Port Orleans

Our room view at Royal Pacific

Entrance to Hogsmeade – Please observe the spell limits

Kids in the candy store!

Their Chocolate Frog boxes are huge!

Lunch & frozen butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks

Frozen butterbeer

regular butterbeer from the bar at Hog’s Head

happy student headed for the classrooms in the castle

Welcome to Hogsmeade from Jurassic Park

Hogwarts finally in sunshine

Hogwarts from the ride entrance

Student Britta at Hogwarts

Hogwarts from Dragon Challenge

Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade

Moody Hogwarts at night

Student Britta at Hogwarts at night

Moody Hogwarts at night

Moody Hogwarts at night

Moody Hogwarts at night with snow-witch

Wacky way to get string licorice!

Wacky way to get string licorice!

Signing credit card receipts with quill

Entrance at night

Hogwarts Express at night first time NO people!

Britta & Jules with the Hogwarts Express

Jules & Britta in Hogsmeade at night

Mt Kumuneyewanadrinkya flaming cocktail

Mt Kumuneyewanadrinkya flaming cocktail

Jules & Britta with their Mt Kumuneyewanadrinkya flaming cocktail

Britta karaoke

Jules karaoke

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