I have been dying to go to Universal to see all the new London and Diagon Alley stuff since it opened but Dustin and I do not go to theme parks in the summer. Ever. So we planned to go when it was cooler. We were hoping to make it in December but it didn't work out. Then in January we finally set a date. We ended up with Friday, February 13th. Our schedule is packed until April so it was now or wait until the end of the year when the weather was bearable again. We chose now and I'm so thankful we did. I took off work and since Dustin is off Fridays anyway it worked out perfectly. We were a little concerned it was going to be too cold but I mean, it's Florida. I don't think it's ever really too cold down here right? It was in the 40s when we arrived but the high was 62 so it ended up being the absolute nicest day to go.
We arrived right before 9AM and the line to park was ridiculous. We always get there way before the park opens so we don't have to deal with that kind of thing but it just didn't happen this time around. So we waited and waited until finally we made it through. We parked, jumped out of the car, and speed walked until we got to the ticket booth.
I can't remember the last time I had been to regular old Universal. High school, maybe? Dustin remembers going right after he graduated. Needless to say, it had been awhile for both of us so we were excited to see all the changes. The first ride we went on was Minion Mayhem because duh! We love some minions. Apparently everyone else had the same plan because we waited in line for 45 minutes. But it was the cutest and most fun ride. Totally worth it. I laughed and screamed the entire time.
Next up was Transformers. We saw an actual Transformer in the street (ok a guy in a costume but you know what I mean) and when I tried to take a photo, people kept telling us to "keep it moving". What the hell was going on that you aren't allowed to hang out and watch or take a picture?! The wait time for Transformers was 5 minutes so we got right on. It was pretty much just like Spider-Man. I enjoyed it but it started to make me a little motion sick towards the end.
We walked along just looking at everything. By this time we were both getting hungry so we wanted to find some food except we were now in front of E.T. which is kind one of my all time favorite rides ever. I remember my Grandma taking me to Universal and us going on that ride specifically together. The wait time was only 5 minutes for this one too! We decided food can wait, let's go help E.T. get to his home planet. We gave the lady our name and got our "Adventure Passports" and went on our way through the woods. Everything was just as I remembered it. I couldn't believe that it smelled the same. There's no other ride I can say that about but there's just something about E.T. It brought me right back to being a kid. I will admit E.T.'s friends were a little creepier than I remember but it was still an awesome ride.
We stopped in Springfield to eat. I've never been a huge Simpsons fan but I definitely enjoyed our time there and can appreciate their world. We ate fish-n-chips in their cafeteria. We were so tempted to buy one of the huge donuts that were the size of my head but went with a small cupcake instead. Probably for the best even though I'm still thinking about that giant donut two days later.
Once we got closer to London I started freaking out. It is hands down the top place I'd like to visit internationally one day. But until that happens I will enjoy Orlando's version of it. We stopped by Grimmauld Place to say hello to Kreacher. Then I got to take a photo with Stan and the shrunken head next to the Knight Bus. I mean, COME ON. Does it get any cooler?! (Actually it does... keep scrolling!) Stan was a proper British bloke and asked me my name. Then the shrunken head called me by name too. Ha! The best!
Diagon Alley really is "hidden". So many people were asking how to get to it. Damn muggles! I love how you just walk behind a wall and BAM it's all right in your face. It's hard to know what to look at first but I couldn't help but be drawn to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Dustin and I were so amazed by how much everything looks just as it did in the movies. The minute you walk through that brick wall you really do feel like you are in another world. It's the coolest thing.
We just walked the streets, going in and out of the shops, oggling at all of the fun souvenirs. The amount of detail that has been put into every single Harry Potter section of Universal is incredible. They have really shown up every other theme park when it comes to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.
We kept walking in circles discovering something new each time. I could've stayed in Diagon Alley forever. Seriously. There is always something fun to read or watch. I loved watching kids with special wands being able to move something in a window or turn on a fountain. You can even do a currency exchange and get a Gringott's bank note to use anywhere in Diagon Alley.
Dustin was anxious to find Knockturn Alley, which for anyone who doesn't know, is devoted to the Dark Arts. Once we found it it was literally way too dark to take any photos/video. It is just as creepy and dark as it is in the books and movies. I bought Dustin and I some Death Eater tattoos while there. We were also dangerously close to buying a candleholder made of skeletons. Definitely next time!
I wanted to buy everything. And I mean everything. From howlers to quills, to puking pastilles, to pygmy puffs, to another wand, to the wizard wedding attire. I straight-faced, serious as a heart-attack, asked Dustin if we could get married again wearing the outfits below. He said sure which is why we're married in the first place. I did buy some postcards (always), a Hogwarts Railways Christmas ornament, and a Ministry of Magic wax seal (expect to find this on all letters I send from here on out).
Next up we went back into London and into King's Cross to board the Hogwarts Express. Each cabin fit 8 people and there was a screen to our left where we watched the U.K.'s landscape go by with the occasional Harry Potter character waving at us. You could also see shadows on the other side of the cabin where the door is. You could hear Harry, Ron, & Hermione whispering and then the cloak and and hand of a dementor. It was so neat! Also, we got to enjoy a different landscape and "show" because we took the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade and then back to London.
We walked around Islands of Adventure but didn't do much over there. Although, I did get a photo with Wolverine. We also saw Cyclops but he was way too talkative for us. Ha! We were going to go on Jurassic Park because it's Dustin's favorite but when I saw how wet everyone was getting I declined. It was already pretty cold out so to be wet on top of that did not seem fun at all. Then of course I felt bad because Dustin didn't get to go on it but he assured me it was fine since he's been on it a million times before. We made our way back to Hogsmeade where we enjoyed a couple of Butterbeers. We were just standing there people watching when Dustin spotted AJ Burnett (pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates). I told Dustin he should've gone and said something to him but he didn't want to bother him.
We walked around in Hogsmeade a little but it was way crowded so we rode the train back over to the other park. At this point in the day we were slowing down. We're old! Ha. But we went back to Diagon Alley because I could not get enough plus there were still a few things I wanted to do. First of those things was see the dragon on top of the Gringotts Bank breathe fire. It happens every 30 minutes so we waited for a little bit before witnessing it. It's super loud and warms the whole street. It scared a couple kids so bad they fell to the ground. We also went over to Shutterbutton's and made our own moving photos. We were just doing it for fun, for the experience, but then Dustin totally surprised me when he actually bought the DVD (and it was so not cheap). It's something we will treasure forever though.
The last thing on our list was to go on the Gringotts Bank ride. I had been researching this ride since before it even opened. I wanted to know exactly what to expect. When it comes to rides, I don't like surprises. Everyone described it as Spider-Man meets Forbidden Journey. I even watched YouTube videos of it. From what I could tell it looked like something I could handle. So we waited in the 45 minute line. Once again the details were just so fun. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling in the bank were gorgeous and the goblins behind the counters were so interesting! We had to go through many different rooms, down an "elevator", and up a spiral staircase to get to the ride itself. The car that you sit in is so cramped. I'm an average size girl and felt squished so I can't imagine how other people felt. So Dustin and I are next to each other all strapped in when the car takes off pretty damn fast. I immediately thought "What the hell did I just get myself into?". And then seconds after the ride has started the car goes vertical. Yeah, I did not like that at all. To be honest, I hated the ride. It was way too rollercoastery for my taste. I straight up thought I was going to have a panic attack. I felt all color drain out of my face. I squeezed Dustin's arm like never before and with every twist and turn I screamed "I HATE THIS!". Dustin was, as always, the best. He kept saying "look at the screen", "there's Bill Weasley! He won't let anything happen to us.", "Ok we're going to make a quick turn but then there's going to be a screen again.", etc. He was great but I really was not having any of it. I started to cry just as the ride was over. I was shaking. People act like it's no big deal to ride roller coasters but to some of us, it's a horrible experience. If it weren't for it being Harry related I wouldn't have even bothered riding it at all. I'm glad I did it and Dustin and I had a good laugh about it AFTER the fact but like Flight of the Hippogriff, I doubt I'll ride it again. Dustin on the other hand loved it! The Forbidden Journey is still my fave!
Minus my Gringotts panic attack the day was amazing. Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express were even better than I imagined them to be. I can't wait to go back!
Big shout out to my iPhone for taking literally every single photo and video clip. You are the best!