So finishing the wrap up of our fun post half marathon adventures.
Day 3:
Universal Studios
We were all excited to see both Harry Potter worlds. I was very excited to see the new one in Universal Studios since I had been to Hogsmeade before. We had slight issues getting into the park since 4 of us forgot to print tickets. Despite what their website says, you need a paper copy to get into the park. Good reminder for next time. Once we got into the park, we ran right to the new Harry Potter portion of the park and the new Gringott's bank ride. After 45 minutes of waiting in line, the ride broke down. So we definitely weren't off to a good start. We decided to enjoy the Diagon Alley area and some got their butterbeers (I don't like butterscotch so I passed). I am very impressed that both Harry Potter areas are done so well. It really does feel like you are going into the movies. Sadly they are crazy busy so that does take some of the joy away. After exploring a bit, we took the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. We all really enjoyed the Hogwarts Express and you must take it. Hogsmeade is still great and we only waited 30 min for the castle ride. Universal has done a great job.
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| Diagon Alley |
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| In Gringotts before the ride broke down (we did ride it later) |
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| Gringotts! |
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| Jenny and the Night Bus |
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| Platform 9 and 3/4 |
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| Hogwarts Express! |
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| Hogwarts! |
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| Enjoying Hogsmeade |
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| Love these guys |
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| Butterbeers! |
Once we enjoyed Harry Potter, we enjoyed the rest of the park. I still love the Hulk, Spiderman, and the Mummy. Ducky and I decided that it was a good idea to ride a water ride. We were soaked and the sun nicely decided to disappear. It took hours for us to dry off, but we still claim it was worth it. Oh and it decided to rain on and off all day. We did stay until closing at 7 and had fun. I still think Disney is better but have to admit that Universal has done a good job. Oh yeah, we also love Minions.
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| Yes, Jo won! |
We finished the day enjoying a nice Italian dinner at Downtown Disney. I love all the outdoor music you can find at Downtown Disney. I will spend a lot of time there in January.
Last Day:
Magic Kingdom
We saved the best for last. We had to leave by 2 so we rushed around the park. We hit the mountains first, Big Thunder and Splash. I forgot how wet you can get on Splash Mountain so, sorry Jo. We were able to get on Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Buzz's ride, Dwarfs Train ride, Philarharmonic and It's a Small World. I was semi disappointed with the Dwarfs Train ride. It seemed like Big Thunder Mountain but with animatronics. So glad we had a Fast pass and didn't wait too long. We had fun, but I started to get sick that day so I was happy to head to the airport so I could get some rest and sleep.
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| In front of the Beast's castle |
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| I love this picture! |
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| I love how determined they are |
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| Stupid crane near the castle |
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| The photographer forgot to put Tinker Bell so Hiram improvised |
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| Another great group ride photo |
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| She got a little wet on Splash Mountain |
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| Ready for our first ride of the day |
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| We will return! |
It was a great trip with a wonderful set of friends. Always nice to find the kid in each of us. Can't wait to return in January (except for the whole racing on two days).
