Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure - Mar 9-10

 We went to the two theme parks that make up Universal Studios.  I wanted to go mostly because of the two Harry Potter worlds – London/Diagon Alley is in one park and Hogsmeade/Hogswart is in the other.  You can get between the two parks by riding the Hogswart Express Train. The train ride was amazing – from London, you entered a life-sized train at Kings Cross Station and felt like you were traveling the English countryside between London and Hogsmeade because the scenes in the windows were very familiar to those of us who have watched the movies umpteen times. When you reach Hogsmeade, it is winter and you can wander through the village, having a butter beer or pumpkin juice (both of which I tried and liked) or shop for trinkets. Inside the school is a roller coaster ride (of course). Like Disney, Universal does a great job keeping you entertained while you wind your way through the waiting line. We saw talking pictures, and projections of Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione and Ron, all while wandering through some of the rooms made famous by the books.

When you take the train back to Kings Cross, you see completely different scenes through the windows and, through ominous music and scenes of the Death Eaters entering London, I came out with a sense that battles are about to start. Finding Diagon alley was a bit tricky which was cool because when I turned into it from the London wall, I was struck with the change – it really felt like I was transported from a Muggle world to a magical world. Seeing the dragon on top of Gringotts Bank was very dramatic, especially when it spewed out flames. 

Both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley played music from the movies which added to the ambiance. And the details were amazing; it was a visual overload for me. If you bought a wand from Olivanders (or from a number of kiosks), you received a magical map.  We didn’t buy one but watched lots and lots of young wizards using their wands at places indicated on the map to work their magic and have magical things happen. Starting and stopping a water fountain, opening chocolate frog boxes on display in the candy shop and lots of other tricks were cool.  But apparently it was difficult to get the wand waving correct and cause the magic to happen, so each place had a staff member there to help. It actually looked like a lot of fun. But expensive.  A robe and wand runs about $150 per person.  Lots and lots of people were wearing their robes and waving their wands though.

The rest of the park was anticlimactic. We spent time in Dr. Seuss Land which was fun because of the fantastical buildings and topiaries. Jurassic Park was a total disappointment. I understand from some articles I read that Jurassic Park has been a disaster from the day it opened, so I expect it will be a new land in the future. Some of the lands were primarily roller coaster rides and didn’t appeal to us.

The original Universal Studios looks more like the California one with a layout to look like the backlot for a movie studio.  I don’t think actual movies are shot here though. We saw some stunt shows in both parks and I actually kind of took a nap during the Sinbad one.  Not too exciting. No fireworks and the parade we saw was pretty pathetic - people weren't even stopping to watch it.

All in all, if the Harry Potter lands had not been here, I would have been very disappointed in Universal Studios.  When I have a chance to compare other theme parks to the Disney ones, I see that Disney just brings the standard up to a level none of the others have met. Disney parks are amazingly clean (they steam clean all the streets every night), they are kept well painted and maintained, and the crew members are always polite and knowledgeable. But, Harry Potter really brought the appeal factor up – I'm glad we came here.

Russ is starting to get pooped out.

You enter the park after walking through CityWalk. Lots of good restaurants and, if we lived in the area, a great place to spend a night out.

Seussland had a great merry-go-round, full of his characters.

The buildings were great - just like what you would see in his books.



There were topiaries all over that looked so much like his drawings.



Truffula trees from The Lorax.

Considering getting a Grinch hat for use when I am in the appropriate mood.

One Fish, Two Fish ride was just like Dumbo, except that there was a game involved; you had to follow the song's direction on moving your fish up and down or risk getting squirted. I saw an older couple from India (the woman in a sari) get a faceful.  They laughed in delight.

The Lost Continent had an interesting interactive show taking you on a tour of a recently discovered temple, only to disturb an ancient god and then having to barely escape with your life. 

 

The Hogswart Express in King's Cross Station.



Remember the invisible thestrals that took the students up to Hogswart? This is one of them attached to a wagon. The wagon moved back and forth as if there were a real creature attached.  I could practically hear it breathing and snorting.



The place was absolutely packed, but it was still fun.

This is one of the magic tricks that the wands could control.  If you didn't do the spell right, the caldron would overfill and spill water on the people walking below.

Do the spell correctly, the caldron would dip, but instead of spilling water out, one of the little gnomes would babble at you.

 

So many neat details to find.

  



The Hogswart School of Wizardry up in the mountains.



 

Returning to London, you would find really neat shops like this magic shop in Diagon Alley. I bought a Bombtastic Bomb here.

The dragon has escaped Gringotts and is terrorizing Diagon Alley.

Now he's mad.



I have several friends who would love to have these self-knitting needles.



 

 

Entering Gringotts, you could buy coins (I think they were collector pieces) or just walk through and enjoy the scenery.

 

The bus was not a ride and it didn't shrink or stretch as necessary to get through the London streets.

I couldn't figure out if they were really filming or if this was part of the ambiance.

The Blue's Brothers heading to their show.



Even some of the parade participants appeared to be bored with the whole thing.



 



This was a really cool miniature golf course in the City Walk.