The ABCs of a New 'Ohana Adventure-G is for: Greetings From Teppan, Good-Byes, and Good News!!! - COMPLETED 1/7

[irene_dsc]

WoW! Sounds like a big undertaking, but kinda fun to see it all come together. How cool to have everyone get their own work space in all of this.

Well, we did have a head start. You may remember that dh and I have an architecture firm. Well, at the peak, we had about 15 employees (tho some part-time), with about 10 work stations. It's been just the 2 of us for maybe 6 years now. As we downsized over the years, we brought home some of the desks. So, at least we didn't have to go out and get any furniture. The only new purchase was a small laser printer to upgrade from the small inkjet printer that would run out of ink almost immediately. And of course, getting the new printer to talk to everything was one of the most difficult parts! (Actually, I think it is only currently connected to my and dh's computers, but not the kids'.)

It's so sad to see all of these kids' hobbies and school stuff and activities be put on hold; from their perspectives it is so hard and at times heartbreaking. I hope that things will return to normal soon so they can get back to enjoying their hobbies and the things they love. It's especially hard on the seniors for sure who will have no prom, no grad, etc...

Yeah. I'm still pretty amazed at how lucky our family got, as far as not missing huge stuff. Tho I'm not sure what either kid is going to end up doing this summer. They were hoping for summer jobs, but I'm sure those will be in short supply, especially for basically unskilled labor, competing with people with way more job experience. (Ds had been working on campus, but only a few hours a week, on the a/v team that streams events for the campus website). And neither is very entrepreneurial / go-getter types, sigh.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The famous, and very convenient, UniBoats were waiting and willing, and, gotta be honest here, UniWorld has Disney trumped by a factor of many here.

Boats >> buses.

The quick, 15-minute journey was fun with a soundtrack of retro songs playing that everyone knows the words to. In fact, one of my favorite memories of the UniBoats was one trip from Portofino to CityWalk in which ‘Sweet Caroline’ came on and the whole boat of passengers started to sing it all together. The captain himself was pretty animated and added to the fun with silly jokes, singing along with us, etc…

Now that's fun!

I contemplated getting a Voodoo Doughnut, but the line was frighteningly long and I can get those anytime here in Portland.

We missed out on Voodoo in Portland and in Universal.

Rope drop works like magic in most places you’d visit, theme park or not. The old adage ‘the early bird gets the worm’ is simply true.

Why would I want a worm?

Seriously, though, you know I'm on board the Rope Drop train.

Ho….lee…. crap! Is it fair to say that Disney was out-Disney’ed?! Sorry if that offends your Disney diehard little heart, but I was justifiably blown away. Diagon Alley in one word, is mind-blowing.

At the very least, it's as good as anything Disney has ever done. They did great work.

Unlike most banks, it's guarded by a freaking DRAGON!

Which is awesome!

The escape we managed, with a little spellbinding help along the way, was incredibly well executed.

That was a very fun ride. Good for the family, too.

The ride itself is not worth the price of a park ticket, but combined with the overall themed area, the butterbeer, the Hogwarts Express… yeah, all that makes a trip to UniWorld totally worth it. Would I go again? A resounding YES!

I think that's where we landed as well. I'll reserve expanding on that if/when I ever get to writing up a Universal TR.

I am grateful for trips to look back on and reminisce of happier, freer times of travel and enjoyment. I hope reading about places we love helps you escape from the cares and stresses of the times we are in.

Definitely grateful for past trips to provide good memories...and suffering from a whole lot of wanderlust right now!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm enjoying your Uni updates. I've never been but would go just to see the HP stuff. I don't think I would do many rides since simulator do not agree with me.

I hope you're staying safe and Thank you for your service. Such scary times right now.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Hi Liesa! I'm so sorry your hours have been cut. That really stinks. Hang in there. Things will eventually get back to normal. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Sigh.
To keep busy because Joe and I have both had our hours cut, we are cleaning and purging. By the end of this, my house will be so clean!!!! LOL!
Stay safe. ❤

 

[Steppesister]

Thanks for the clarification.

Please stay safe.

Doing my best. Did have to go on errands today (PO, lab draws for my daughter, sign new lease); hope I don't get the scourge.

You know... I'm not sure why... but I definitely am.

Someone of us has to be lucky.

I'm not really sure, tbh.

Huh! I've not heard of too many delays other than when there's a crash....


er. oops, too soon?

I love that.
Next time, for MNSSHP, it might be fun to try to do a ghostly Bert (the sooty version... like he broke his neck falling down a chimney.)

OH yes!! That would be a fun one!!

When I went to Uni Cal, Kay bought a wand. It was fun.

I saw loads of pre-teens and younger having a ball, but sure thought it looked fun for all ages.

That's just it. It seemed like every CM (or whatever) in Potter land was dressed appropriately. That doesn't seem to happen quite so... immersibly in Disney.

No, although some of the CM costumes are really well done- POTC and HM cases in point.

These arm hairs didn't singe themselves!

LOL!! Ah, that scent of burned flesh.

 

[Steppesister]

Well, we did have a head start. You may remember that dh and I have an architecture firm. Well, at the peak, we had about 15 employees (tho some part-time), with about 10 work stations. It's been just the 2 of us for maybe 6 years now. As we downsized over the years, we brought home some of the desks. So, at least we didn't have to go out and get any furniture. The only new purchase was a small laser printer to upgrade from the small inkjet printer that would run out of ink almost immediately. And of course, getting the new printer to talk to everything was one of the most difficult parts! (Actually, I think it is only currently connected to my and dh's computers, but not the kids'.)

I did remember that but didn't know you once had so many employees! Sounds like a nice set up to have a home office and with minimal outlay! Tech is definitely one of my very weak points, so totally understand your pain with frustrating printer issues. I had to call HP not long ago when mine acted up. UGH!

Yeah. I'm still pretty amazed at how lucky our family got, as far as not missing huge stuff. Tho I'm not sure what either kid is going to end up doing this summer. They were hoping for summer jobs, but I'm sure those will be in short supply, especially for basically unskilled labor, competing with people with way more job experience. (Ds had been working on campus, but only a few hours a week, on the a/v team that streams events for the campus website). And neither is very entrepreneurial / go-getter types, sigh.

I'm not sure what mine is going to do either. So sad. My older of the two at home works at Home Depot and I'm sure his job is mostly secure, but my youngest works at Dairy Queen and they are mostly closed except for drive thru. Small business owners won't be able to hang on and see a bunch of them closing either completely to save what cash they can or pemanently. Mine aren't either, so it's going to be doubly hard on those kids as they figure life out the next while. I really feel for them.

 

[pkondz]

Doing my best. Did have to go on errands today (PO, lab draws for my daughter, sign new lease); hope I don't get the scourge.

How was that? I’m finding going out is a bit surreal these days.

Someone of us has to be lucky.

Great. Busses. Why can’t it be lotteries???

Huh! I've not heard of too many delays other than when there's a crash....


er. oops, too soon?

I saw loads of pre-teens and younger having a ball, but sure thought it looked fun for all ages.

I enjoyed it vicariously through Kay.

No, although some of the CM costumes are really well done- POTC and HM cases in point.

HM yes, but POTC? Not sure about that one.

 

[Steppesister]

Boats >> buses.

Always.

Toot toooooot!



Er... excuse me.

We missed out on Voodoo in Portland and in Universal.

Re-do?

Why would I want a worm?

Seriously, though, you know I'm on board the Rope Drop train.

Choo- choooooo....

Yes, my mouth is closed.

At the very least, it's as good as anything Disney has ever done. They did great work.

The detailing is phenomenal.

That was a very fun ride. Good for the family, too.

For sure! And not a ton of them are at US.

I think that's where we landed as well. I'll reserve expanding on that if/when I ever get to writing up a Universal TR.

Looking forward to that!

Definitely grateful for past trips to provide good memories...and suffering from a whole lot of wanderlust right now!

I'm suffering for a whole lotta anything. I'd settle for a glare-free trip to the grocery store.

 

[ariane37]

I made the VERY short walk to the boat ramp, breezed through security and a boat was docked, bobbing on the beautiful harbor waters. They were almost always waiting; I literally never had to wait more than a few minutes, ever, to get on a boat and they were constantly coming and going. Hands down, this was a HUGE piece of UniWorld that I loved.

I enjoy the boats at Disney and I do really enjoy them at Uni too! I do agree they are quicker/there waiting more often at Uni. I also really loved being able to walk to CityWalk when we stayed at HRH, it was less than 10 minutes and very pretty.

Diagon Alley in one word, is mind-blowing.

As a "liker" of HP I felt the same! There is no way anyone can enter Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade and NOT be amazed. For anyone who enjoys HP in the least, visiting is a must.

I hope reading about places we love helps you escape from the cares and stresses of the times we are in.

❤

 

[Steppesister]

m enjoying your Uni updates. I've never been but would go just to see the HP stuff. I don't think I would do many rides since simulator do not agree with me.

I hope you're staying safe and Thank you for your service. Such scary times right now.

More coming up soon! I think it would be worth the steep price for just the HP stuff (both parks) and tbh, the rides aren't THAT intense. I really liked the Flight of the Hippogriff and Hagrids is just over the top, easily outstripping anything Disney has. Yes, even FoP.

 

[Steppesister]

Hi Liesa! I'm so sorry your hours have been cut. That really stinks. Hang in there. Things will eventually get back to normal. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Sigh.
To keep busy because Joe and I have both had our hours cut, we are cleaning and purging. By the end of this, my house will be so clean!!!! LOL!
Stay safe. ❤

I wish I qualified for unemployment where I'd make more than what my employer is paying, but I don't. I have to hold on to that hope as well, but the longer this goes on, the less likely life will ever be as we knew it. But yes, good to hold onto hope.

Where is Obi Wan?!

I live in a tiny apartment iwth very little "stuff" so it takes me about 2 hours to clean from top to bottom. Meanwhile, I have started studying again. And watching old Disney movies.

 

[pkondz]

Toot toooooot!



Er... excuse me.

 

[MeghanEmily]

The famous, and very convenient, UniBoats were waiting and willing, and, gotta be honest here, UniWorld has Disney trumped by a factor of many here.

I have to agree! I know there are lots of factors at play here, but our experiences with Universal transportation and bag checks were much more enjoyable than most Disney ones.

Nice picture of you!

Ho….lee…. crap! Is it fair to say that Disney was out-Disney’ed?! Sorry if that offends your Disney diehard little heart, but I was justifiably blown away. Diagon Alley in one word, is mind-blowing.

It's so amazing! A truly remarkable feat of bringing the imagination to life! As a ginormous Harry Potter nerd, I enjoyed my first visit here immensely! (And also the couple of visits after that!)

But, like many of you, I am grateful for trips to look back on and reminisce of happier, freer times of travel and enjoyment. I hope reading about places we love helps you escape from the cares and stresses of the times we are in.

Agree! I would never have wished for our current situation by any means, but it does make me appreciate how wonderful it will be to be able to go about our regular lives and travel again someday in future.

 

[Steppesister]

U is for Unusual UniWorlds - Universal Chapter 3

**** I realize this chapter looks long. Please feel free to skip the quoted parts, or the whole thing, if you feel a need to for the sake of saving some time, but I chose to use a very different format that suits the material and photos in order to give better context.****

Also, HUGE thank you to @jedijill for helping to make this chapter possible by resourcing me with the texts to work from. THANK YOU, Jill!!!​

”There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light….

With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying. They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled the Knight Bus.

For a split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night….

‘Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard; just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve—'

Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan’s hand. He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig’s cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.

There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in the brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, 'Not now, thanks I’m pickling some slugs', and rolled over in his sleep.” (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 3)







I paid my own fare of the 11 Sickles, plus 2 for hot chocolate, and another 2 for a hot water bottle and a toothbrush of my choice. I took green, of course. Stan smiled at me and welcomed me aboard, and before I knew it, I was let off at my destination. The entrance to an enchanting world where things are just a bit different than we see in our Muggle world this side of the brick wall.


“Vampires? Hags? Harry’s head was swimming. Hagrid meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

“Three up… two across…” he muttered. “Right, stand back, Harry.”

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered—it wriggled—in the middle, a small hole appeared—it grew wider and wider—a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.”

“Welcome,” said Hagrid,“ to Diagon Alley.” (Sorcerer’s Stone, Ch. 5)




And here we are! Ready for some shopping, dining, ogling, and adventure!


“Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry’s pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought 3 strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly as a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains, they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.” (Chamber of Secrets, Ch. 4)



Immersed in the World of Harry Potter, I too sauntered on the cobbled streets, wishing I had a bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling in my pocket. Instead, I usually collect crap like alcohol wipes, pieces of EKG strip with miscellaneous vital signs written on them, and gum wrappers. What's too often missing is my pen. Like Ron, I gazed longingly in the shop windows wishing I could buy some trinkets and fireworks from Dr. Filibuster’s. Taking my time, I went from storefront to storefront.

I paused at one café offering jellied eels, stewed eels, and eels and mash. We Muggles prefer our food less slimy I think and yet, served in sushi, I thought to myself, eel isn’t too very terrible. I kept this place in mind for when the lunching hour grew closer.



“But the thing that tested Harry’s resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he’d arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Curious to know what the crowd was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

“Just come out- prototype---" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.

“It’s the fastest broom in the world, isn’t it, Dad?” squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father’s arm.

“Irish International Side’s just put in an order for seven of these beauties!” the proprietor of the shop told the crowd, “And they’re favorites for the World Cup!”

A large witch in front Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:

**THE FIREBOLT**…” (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 4)

Harry went on to keep his Nimbus 2000 and not splurge on the Firebolt, but I could not pass up my opportunity to take it for a test ride. I, too, chose to save my money for other things like rent and food as there is a scourge on the land at present and resources and income might be a bit tight for a time. Perhaps when our Muggle life returns to normal, I can entertain the urges to return to Diagon Alley and try on brooms again. Meantime, payments on the new Muggle-mobile continue on. And on. And on… forever.




I approached yet another curious shop unique to Diagon Alley. As I stood peering into the animated window display, I recalled a situation some friends had gotten into and discovered the use of the very things I was seeing:

“Harry… muttered… '…What are Skiving Snackboxes?’

“Range of sweets to make you ill, George whispered, keeping a wary eye on Mrs. Wealsley’s back “Not seriously ill, mind you, just ill enough to get you out of a class when you feel like it. Fred and I have been developing them this summer. They’re double-ended, color-coded chews. If you eat the orange half of the Puking Pastilles, you throw up. Moment you’ve been rushed out of the lesson for the hospital wing, you swallow the purple end—”

“Testers?”

“Us,” said Fred. ‘We take it in turns. George did the Fainting Fancies- we both tried the Nosebleed Nougat—” (Order of the Phoenix, Ch. 4)




Perhaps I had been slipped a Nosebleed Nougat in my coffee that fateful morning at Animal Kingdom when the stone pathway was painted with my sanguineous outpouring.


“Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes—he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.

Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at Harry. He edged among them, looking around, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the looks that would spread over Dudley’s piggy face if he could see where Harry was now.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice; fat, honey-colored toffee; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were ‘Special Effects’—sweets; Drooble's Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for day), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps (‘breathe fire for your friend!’), Ice Mice (‘hear your teeth chatter and squeak!’) peppermint creams shaped like toads (‘hop realistically in the stomach!’), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.” (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 10)








As a side note, returning to an image already shared of my visit to Diagon Alley, I was curious as to the reference of this wizardly business- The Hopping Pot. My research paid off and while not in the classic HP series, J.K. Rowling, in her other writings, mentions this in her book of children’s stories called Tales of Beedle the Bard, which in turn is mentioned in the HP book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A brief quote of a source which summarizes the story, and highlights the moral of it… using our gifts to help others: “A “kindly old wizard” dies and leaves his magical cooking pot to his foolish son. The son spurns his neighbours’ requests for help and discovers that the pot becomes more and more annoying as it takes on the neighbour’s ailments and problems. In the end, the son learns to help others.”




Anyway, I thought it interesting and that bit of looking into it made me want to read her other writings.


Speaking of books, here is the premier book seller of Diagon Alley- Flourish and Blotts. I saw they were still stocking the Monster Books despite the proprietor swearing to never stock them again. In his own words:


“Get out of the way,” said the manager impatiently bushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books’ cage.

“Hang on,” said Harry quickly, “I’ve already got one of those.”

“Have you?” A look of enormous relief spread over the manager’s face. “Thank heaven for that. I’ve been bitten five times already this morning—”

A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.

“Stop it! Stop it! Cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. “I’m never stocking them again, ever! It’s been bedlam! I thought we’d seen the worse when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility—cost a fortune, and we never found them… Well… is there anything else I can help you with?” (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 4)






My wanderings gave way to a gnawing in my tummy and it was time to decide on lunch. I could return to the café that had Eel and Mash or seek out some other place, for there were many. It was a “long sunny day” and, like Harry, I had spent the morning “exploring the shops” and I wanted, just as he did, to “eat under the brightly colored umbrellas outside (at a) café, where fellow diners were showing one another their purchases (“It’s a lunascope, old boy—no more messing around with moon charts, see?”) or else discussing the case of Sirius Black…” (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 4)


In the end, I chose the Leaky Cauldron as the fare sounded most appealing to my liking.

https://touringplans.com/universal-studios-florida/dining/leaky-cauldron/menus/lunch-and-dinner-menu






I’d had my eye on the Ploughman’s Platter which, of course, would be far more than I could eat, but it gave me a nice variety of lighter items that I could graze on while people watching and taking in the medieval-flavored theming. Daisy Dodderidge did a whizbang job on her Inn which serves both as pub and bed and breakfast.

It was fun to know that the famous Harry Potter had spent several weeks at this establishment while escaping the Durnsleys in 1993.


“Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Caldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day’s shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in the Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava." (Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch. 4)














Yes, watching the other guests was indeed entertaining. At the table next to mine sat a group of young adult men from Japan who ate very little, picking at their food, and leaving most likely perplexed, disappointed, and hungry. I, on the other hand, feasted heartily on a delicious spread of the Cauldron’s finest. Meats, cheeses, greens, bread and Scotch Eggs. It goes without saying that I also inbibed a butterbeer. The repast was perfect for fueling me up to continue on with my day.







But not before paying a visit to Moaning Myrtle. “Who is she?”, you might ask, Dear Reader.


“Oh no,” said Hermione, stopping abruptly. “Turn back, turn back, I don’t want to talk to Moaning Myrtle—”

“Who?” said Harry as they backtracked quickly.

“She haunts one of the toilets in the girls’ bathroom on the first floor,” said Hermione.

“She haunts a toilet?”

“Yes. It’s been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it’s awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you—” (Chamber of Secrets, Ch. 8)




Today I could not avoid it. I’d had some butterbeer and we all know how that ends.


“Clutching his broken glasses to his face, Harry stared around. He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he’d just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he’d be able to find a way out of there.” (Chamber of Secrets, Ch. 4)


Taking a wrong turn, I too found my way into this sinister alley and with each step more goosebumps emerged on my Oregon-pasty white skin. The shrunken heads were still ghoulishly displayed, and I found myself happy that Trader Sam had a merchandise outlet to keep him in business. Sure, it was a black magic market, but these days, with the current economic market, I kind of don’t blame him. I didn’t take many pictures in Knockturn Alley as a sense of see and flee seemed to grip me.






And flee I must. The day is already almost over and I have other things I need to get done. Meanwhile, stay safe, Friends.

 

[Steppesister]

How was that? I’m finding going out is a bit surreal these days.

Meh, I do what I need (emphasis on need) to do and try to keep my distance. It's really a no-brainer, but well... panic, hysteria, over-kill and all that.

Great. Busses. Why can’t it be lotteries???

...cuz you don't play?

I enjoyed it vicariously through Kay.

Sometimes our kids are the best sources of entertaiment.

HM yes, but POTC? Not sure about that one.

I think they did a pretty good job on making them look pirate-y but still comfy. Sure, they could be wearing eye patches and swords, but... not very practical for operating a ride either.

 

[Steppesister]

I enjoy the boats at Disney and I do really enjoy them at Uni too! I do agree they are quicker/there waiting more often at Uni. I also really loved being able to walk to CityWalk when we stayed at HRH, it was less than 10 minutes and very pretty.

Overall, just way more convenient to get around and that saves a lot of time in an already expensive day.

As a "liker" of HP I felt the same! There is no way anyone can enter Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade and NOT be amazed. For anyone who enjoys HP in the least, visiting is a must.

For reals!! The level of detailing is really quite stunning and impressing. The more I read and re-read for the research for these chapters, the more I realize the lengths Uni went to in order to include as much from the books as possible. And there's a lot.

 

[Steppesister]

I have to agree! I know there are lots of factors at play here, but our experiences with Universal transportation and bag checks were much more enjoyable than most Disney ones.

While Disney may often have more of a customer service "always smile" attitude in general, Uni trumps on convenience. At least that was my experience. Some places were run down and kinda, hmmm, industrial looking, but overall faster a lot of the time in getting from place to place.

Nice picture of you!

Thanks.

It's so amazing! A truly remarkable feat of bringing the imagination to life! As a ginormous Harry Potter nerd, I enjoyed my first visit here immensely! (And also the couple of visits after that!)

I can really see myself going back and focusing more on the details this time, getting a wand and playing and just enjoying it all over again.

Agree! I would never have wished for our current situation by any means, but it does make me appreciate how wonderful it will be to be able to go about our regular lives and travel again someday in future.

AMEN!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

I loved the Harry Potter update!! The quotes were perfect!

Also, jellied eels were very much a thing in muggle London. It was a popular treat for the workers in the East End. There used to be lots of Pie and Eel shops in London. I spent a year in London in 1997/98 and there was one close to where I lived. Part of the fun of the HP books is how closely they are based on English culture, emphasizing those parts that fit.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Ahhh I do love HP books, have read all of them several times!
DA is such a fun place to explore and who does t love the Knight Bus!
I quote HP all day when in the parks with Andi!

 

[Wood Nymph]

You really made your review interesting by including the HP content. It is fascinating to see how Universal was able to recreate the world. I especially enjoyed seeing the interior of the Knight bus. I hadn't seen a picture of that before. It looks just like the way it was described in the book.