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2019 Universal Studios

A video of Diagon Alley, Universal Studios Florida

by Elsa 19 April 2020

If the actual health crisis prevents us from travelling and doing our usual things, it offers us some time.

So, last week, I decided to benefit from these extra hours to delve into the pictures my family ttok when we visited Universal Studios last August. I played a bit with Power Director and here is a collage of pictures and videos of Diagon Alley.

Univesal parks have two “Harry Potter” lands: one is Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Flordia (USF), the other is Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure (IoA). I’ve already writtent about both on this blog (USF, IoA).

It was so much fun looking at those summer holidays. Also a bittersweet feeling because it was our last family holidays since my eldest is going to college next September and he probably won’t be able to join us for our next holidays in a foreign country.

Fans of Harry Potter or simply fans of amusement parks, I hope that you will like this short video full of magic, fun, and laughter.

Enjoy!

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19 April 2020 0 comment

Islands of Adventure: the 2nd park

by Elsa 1 December 2019

After visiting USF (first Diagon Alley then the other rides), let’s visit the second park called IoA- Islands of Adventure. That’s the park where I fell in love with one ride, where Miss G got to ride THE ride she had been dreaming of for the past year and where we finished drenched!

Going to IoA

It’s the park that’s the closest to the Royal Pacific Hotel. Actually, each hotel is close to the parks.

We used to go to USF for the Early mornings then rode the Hogwarts Express to get to IoA, right in Hogsmeade.

You read right, Hogsmeade. There’s another Harry Potter land in IoA, themed after the Hogsmeade village, with Hogwarts looming over.

In Hogsmeade

3.5 rides are in Hogsmeade. Why a 1/2 ride? Because the train is a ride, but also a means of transportation!

The top attraction of the summer 2019 was undoubtedly Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Waiting time was as high as 210 min, but we knew that we wanted to ride it and we were so lucky both times: a 50 min, (stated 120 min at the beginning of the line) and 90 min waits. LUCKY!!!

This was BY FAR the best ride I have ever done!!!! I closed my eyes, I yelled, I ate my hair due to speed, I just lived every second of it. I now can say why people are willing to wait for so long. Riding the bike or sitting in the side-car make the ride two-fold and you have to experience both. AWESOME! We were ecstatic when it was over and all of us riders clapped our hands once over!

My husband and daughter rode Flight of the Hippogriff, they liked it but found it too short.

Then we rode the ride that is right inside the castle, Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey. I knew absolutely nothing about it, but I enjoyed it a lot. My biggest fear was to lose my shoes (!). I wore slip-ons Skechers Go Walk for most of the time. In this picture, however, still Skechers, but with shoelaces, no need to be afraid to lose them!

This ride is a mix between 3D and real ride. Funny and intense. Miss G didn’t really enjoy it.

The Hogsmeade theming was less attractive to me than Diagon Alley. Seeing snow on the roofs of the village under a scorching sun may have altered my ability to enjoy it. And Diagon Alley is just my favorite!

Other lands in IoA

We loved strolling around the park, even if we had precise plans made on Touringplans.

Jurassic Park

I’m a big fan of the Jurassic franchise so I couldn’t pass on that land.

We really had a blast meeting Blue. Very funny interaction and its head was so heavy on my shoulder!

We saw baby dinos hatch and we were brave enough to ride Jurassic Park River Adventure. We were so happy to be on the front row for once until…we finished completely drenched! I knew that we could be a bit wet, but not that much. That was great, we laughed so hard…and got back to the hotel for a change of clothes!!!

This land will soon have a new ride, a rollercoaster [EDIT: Velocicoaster will be opening June 2021]. Sounds amazing.

Marvel super heroes

This is the place where my daughter rode the ride she longed for, the Incredible Hulk Coaster! She loved it. I had mentally prepared myself to ride it since my husband wasn’t so keen, but fortunately for me, he rode it with her. Even on the ground I was turning green with only the sight of the loopings and stuff!

They met villains:

Spiderman 3D ride was fun and the shops are full of temptations.

Everywhere else

In the other lands, we …

…had wet feet again in Dudley-Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

…met quite an elegant cat…

…and a crowned head.

We also met the Grinch in Seuss’ land…

….and we put some colors on her hair. She was really happy to have a hair wrap, she missed having one in 2016 in Disneyworld.

Even if IoA is not my favorite park, I really enjoyed the lands and how we could go from one world to another. One other great things is to be able to sit under the trees to have a drink.

1 December 2019 0 comment

2019 Universal Studios Travelling

Universal Studios Florida USF: attractions and characters

by Elsa 23 November 2019

There is so much more than Harry Potter in USF.

This park offers many thematic lands that have attractions, restaurants, mette and greets, etc.

Our favorite places in USF

I really enjoyed the width of the alleys in USF. We went after a part of the US went back to school so that may explain why! That was great to stroll leisurely without being rushed.

Even without running from one attraction to another, we enjoyed going at a slow pace, sitting on a bench while sipping a cold drink. I bought the refillable cup and I’m glad I did. We only used one cup for the four of us and it was a great bargain.

Meeting characters in USF

Meet and greets are more relaxed.

We love having pictures taken with characters. There we had quite a wide range of them. From Hello Kitty…

… to Megatron…

… and Beetlejuice. This one was AWESOME! I loved how we interacted! I think that he had just belched there 😆

Scooby Doo was cute.

I was happy that the kids and hubby could meet Doc Brown!

…And the lovely Marilyn. I tried to have a pic of her and my son, but he wouldn’t go near her! Ah, teenagers…!

In most cases, there is no Photoconnect photographer, but you always find someone to help you.

Most-loved attractions and “why did we do it, btw”-attractions

I won’t list them one by one, but I think that we did them at least once.

The +++ rides

Without any doubt Transformers and Men in Black. We rode them on and on and loved every minute of them.

Transformers is a 3D-ride that moves a lot and since we really enjoy watching the movies, we couldn’t pass on this one.

Men in Black is as good as Transformers. Shooting aliens is fun!!!

Son and husband rode Rip Rock Ride It twice and greatly enjoyed it. I kept the bags…!

I also liked the Mummy, but I had some intense back pains before riding it and afterwards…I almost couldn’t even walk. So, very tough on the back. The fall got me screaming, but once my back was healed I rode it again!

Cute, but…

ET: really cute, but dated.

Jimmy Fallon: It’s fun, but depending where you are in the rool, you don’t benefit fully from the 3D.

She was really happy to have been the first to spot Hashtag.

Minions 3D: it’s open at 8AM so we did it a few times during the early hours. Same as Jimmy Fallon, it really depends where you are sitting. What’s cute is the Minion meet-and-greet when exiting!

The —

We do like the Fast and Furious franchise, but the ride is meh…The pre-show is great though. I felt like I was in a sub-par GTA video game.

The Shrek show was also disappointing and very long. At least we were inside and benefiting from the A/C.!

Just for fun, father and daughter rode the flying saucers in the Simpsons land!.

This article may contain affiliate links.

23 November 2019 0 comment

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