January 1, Orlando (Islands of Adventure)

I was so excited today, to go into Harry Potter World and Universal Studios did not disappoint!

We arrived at the park for a 9am opening, we were a little bit early though (Dad had to purchase his ticket) so we were there around 8.20am. It was surprising to find that the park was already open for business!!

In order to get the 'biggest' rides out of the way, our plan was to hit Harry Potter World straight up, then Jurassic Park and perhaps Toon Town. We wound through the Seuss World and then The Lost Continent before arriving at Hogsmede.

Boy was it amazing! It was exactly how it was described by JK Rowling in the book. It was hard to focus on our mission to get to the ride with all the amazing windows to look in, and the shops that were from the book too. Up on the hill behind Hogsmede is Hogwarts and the way they've done the perspective it is perfectly formed.

Our destination was "The Forbidden Journey". This was the only ride in the HP part of the park that wasn't a roller coaster. When we arrived wait times were 10 minutes, so we jumped at the opportunity. Jamming all of our stuff into a couple of lockers and heading into the castle. The tour of the castle alone is worth it! We wound through corridors past mirrors and class rooms, into a hallway with portraits that talked to us (and stretched a couple of stories up!), we found Dumbledore's office (and he spoke to us), had Ron, Hermione and Harry stop and have a chat and even spent some time in the greenhouses. Then we got to the ride ... It is a combination of simulation and real stuff. I also understood the need for the lockers when we were nearly tipped upside down. I had my glasses in my pocket and was genuinely afraid I'd lose them.

This ride was hands down one of the best rides I've ever been on, great lead in, and the ride didn't disappoint. The only problem was that my body wasn't up to it. While Mum and Dad looked through the gift shop I headed outside to have a sit and recover my centre of gravity. I was feeling better by the time Mum came out, but obviously this was short lived, because the next thing I did was disgrace myself and promptly emptied my breakfast into the nearest trash can. (You'd think they'd have some toilets close by for such eventualities!) I wasn't the only one not feeling well, and one lady hopping off the road said the attendants had told her no one could ride the ride more than 6 times without throwing up.

When Dad came out of the gift shop he confessed that despite the fact he'd really enjoyed the ride he too was not feeling so good. So we wandered down into Hogsmede and had a look through the shops (found chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Beans, the Weasley Boys joke shop) all kinds of stuff. So many animatronics in the shops too. You think something is normal, and then it starts to move. Additionally there is music playing (instrumental stuff from the movie), people talking about stuff that's happening in the wizarding world, screens that look like posters with notes and people's face that are moving. Add to that the fact that Moaning Myrtle is actually talking to you in the toilet ... they've taken the idea of theming to the utmost level!

After we'd looked we moved on to Poseidon's Fury. This is an 'experience'. You enter with a group of people (it takes around 30 minutes) and go through the temple, which is supposed to be collapsing around you. The tour guide for this did a great job (although at times his voice was a little soft) and the ending in the main temple was awesome! Definitely something to check out for a time out from sickness inducing rides.

We were feeling a little better after this, so we walked around to Jurassic Park. As you walk in to the 'Island' their is music playing. Took me a while to recognise it and to remember why I knew it. It was the theme from Jurassic Park, and I know it because we played it in band when I was in primary school. It's amazing how you remember these things. We couldn't ride the Jurassic Park River Adventure because it was shut, and the only other ride Dad wanted to do (Pteranodon Flyers) actually required a small person to go with each adult, so we couldn't do that either. Therefore it was on to the next 'island'.

By this stage the crowds were thinning out, so we got to watch some of the rides (we watched the empty Jurassic River boats coming down the falls, in huge plumes of water. Moving on to the Toon Lagoon, we encountered the waterfall for the Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls. After watching for a few minutes I decided that this was my kind of ride. Equipped with one of Mum and Dad's ponchos (longer and therefore better than my rain coat) I headed off. There was no queue, all I had to do was negotiate the queue areas which wind and wend their way up to the ride. I walked straight on into the front of the log. (Not sure that was a good thing!) The ride was fun, but the best part was the drop at the end. Universal sure know how to make water go everywhere. You'd come down the the drop and then go up again, to be shot through a waterfall. Water was going everywhere! I was so glad that I was wearing my poncho.

Yep, that's me in the middle of that big spray of water.

The 'after' shot!

We continued around into Marvel Super Hero Island. Dad wanted to go on the Spiderman ride so he and Mum joined the queue while I sat outside to wait. I'm a little be scared of 3D 'simulation rides' because they made me sick yesterday and I really didn't want to lose whatever was still in my stomach. It turns out this was a good idea, as the ride was a little bit like the Simpsons Ride from yesterday, not to mention that it got stuck at the end. In the end, the 30 minute wait that was on the board when they went in turned in to 50 minutes and I was having a great time watching various Marvel Superheroes and Villains posing for photos. (Not to mention nibbling a Churros!).

Mum and Dad in the queue, just next to the time sign.

When Mum and Dad finally emerged we headed back through Toon Lagoon, having fun under some speech bubbles before coming back to Jurassic Park.

By this stage the River Adventure was going, and the wait was only 10 minutes. I ponchod up and headed in. Straight on ... and into the front row. I must have a sign on my forehead! The ride starts out as a tour of Jurassic Park 'Here's a long necked dinosaur that eats leaves and stuff, here's a baby spiny dinosaur they like shooting water at guests' you get the idea (those words may have been paraphrased :)) Then suddenly we are knocked off path and sent into the restricted Raptor area. It looked exactly like the movie. Raptors came at us, those dinosaurs that spit poison came at us, and just before we went down the hill T-Rex came at us. Very scary stuff. Not to mention the fact that the drop is awesome, but they shoot water straight at your face (it managed to go straight down my neck). In the photos, my mouth is still open in shock!
I was a little wetter after this ride, but it was great fun.

In blue at the front, mouth still open in shock!

It was time for lunch at this point, so we went back into Harry Potter World, to the Three Broomsticks. Believe it or not we had to queue up, but it didn't take too long and the queuing area was very cool. The best part of lunch was the Butterbeer we ordered. It was delicious and we spent quite a while trying to work out what it tasted most like, a combination of creaming soda, butter, butterscotch complete with a creamy head. You can order it in liquid or slushy form. We had the liquid version.

We had a bit more of a look around in Hogsmede, bought some souvenirs, and watched the crowds. Little kids carrying brooms and wands, wearing their robes, and uniforms from Hogwarts ... and some not so little kids doing the same (I swear one guy I saw was my age!!). Huge queues for Butterbeer, and Pumpkin Juice. It was very interesting.

At 2pm we went to the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad show. I wouldn't waste time with this again. It was very lame, and the story line was nonexistent. I nearly fell asleep.

By this stage we decided we'd had enough and headed back to the hotel to have a snooze. A good idea as we were all still a little woozy in the head. Plus it was gorgeous weather, but getting hot (possibly a little bit sunburnt) so it was nice to take a break and have a snooze.

Tomorrow we are heading to the Magic Kingdom, and another wonderful warm day! It was nice to be out and about in shorts and t-shirts.