Lol, no problem you can still enjoy the report.
Ok, confession time. I'm 33. When HP came out and it was all the rage, I just felt like it was a little too juvenile for me. By the time I got a little older and thought it seemed good enough to check it out, I was so far behind, that I just didn't really care to try to catch up on it.
That said, I did see the first HP movie on TV a few weeks ago. I did enjoy it and I'd like to see more. I'm sure as the kids get older we will.
It was pretty cool when I saw the movie though. I was impressed with Hogsmeade when I saw it in person, but I just didn't know what anything was. Having finally seen the movie, I totally get where the actual HP fans are coming from. it's pretty amazing how well they really nailed it.
I took this opportunity to be able to indulge without the kids and I have always wanted to try Fat Tuesday. We went to the little outdoor bar and I didn’t know what to get. The bartender was great and let me have a sample of everything. He also gave me a wristband so I wouldn’t have to be ID’d again. By this point I had a wristband for drinking,
MNSSHP, and to get into Diagon Alley. He made a comment about me having a fun weekend. I have to say the drink was just okay but, now I can say I’ve done that.
I have never been to Fat Tuesday... might need to add that one to the list. I went with some friends about 10 years ago during Universal's Mardi Gras celebrations. We spent several late nights at Pat O'Brien's at Citywalk. That was a fun week. I think. I really can't remember much.
We rode Hulk first. This is a fun ride but nothing extraordinary.
Blasphemy! I love this ride!!!
I don't blame you a bit for skipping cartoon lagoon. Those rides are fun, but they absolutely soak you to the core!
I love JP. Just wish they'd have stuck with a vehicle like the movie. I mean the movie was a ride in and of itself. How could they have missed that???
You then go through another hallway with the moving and talking pictures and wow, just wow. The pictures are textured to look like actual paintings but, then they start moving and talking. I was totally in awe. You never knew what was an actual paining and which ones would just start talking.
That picture room was awesome!
This ride was so freaking fantastic, I don’t think I can convey its awesomeness in words. Ever since my first ride on Tower of Terror, that has been my favorite ride and nothing has been able to top it. Tower of Terror has now been dethroned. It literally flings you all over the place is more thrilling than any roller coaster I have been on. I could ride this over and over but unfortunately the park was almost closed so we move on.
Ok, again, maybe if I'd seen the movies it would have meant more to me. I wasn't all that impressed by it. I thought it was a great ride, don't get me wrong. But I don't typically do motion simulator rides well and those broom chase scenes affected me more than most. I couldn't wait to get out of there.
After, we left the park we headed back to Citywalk to find a place to eat. We settled on Vivo Italian Kitchen. It was packed in there but my dad and I sat at the kitchen bar. I have no idea if that is what it is called but it’s a bar where you can watch the chefs cook. My dad’s first job was a line cook at a fine dining restaurant and his passion is cooking so, if there is ever an opportunity to sit at one of these he will. It was an absolutely fantastic experience here. The chef came over to us and gave us recommendations. He gave us a lot of personalized attention and, I am so glad we sat here. I got the braised beef risotto and OMG
was it delicious. It was cooked perfectly and so rich with flavor and it just hit the spot. My dad got a pasta dish that he thought was very good. The past is made there and you can definitely taste the freshness. If we ever get back to Universal I know I will come back here. For dessert, the chef recommended and orange cake which was the executive chef’s grandmother’s recipe. I was skeptical as I don’t generally like citrus desserts but when the chef recommends, you order. This was another amazing item and we devoured the entire thing. It was warm and moist, drizzled with a sauce that was to die for. I ordered two things I never would have normally but they were both great and I highly recommend this place.
Dinner sounds incredible! I'm glad you had such a great experience there!
And that's what it is all about! I'm glad you had some quality time together and were able to grow a little closer on this trip.
. I couldn’t even enjoy the music I picked because I was freaking out. Honestly, after the first climb it wasn’t too bad. In fact I LOVED this ride. It was such a rush and it was definitely one I wanted to do again.
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. Now I am a total doofus and didn’t take a picture in front of the right door. See, I assumed that 12 Grimmauld place wouldn’t be visible because, in the series it is protected by a charm making it only visible for those who know about it. Anyways, I took a picture at 11 assuming this was as close as I could get to 12 only to realize later that 12 is there; as you can see in the first picture. I felt dumb, oh well. 
don't hate me 
. 
. I was the first person through the gates and followed behind the first family to Diagon Alley. Soon though, there were crazy people practically running to get past us. I felt bad passing this little family who technically should be first so, even though they were walking soooo slow, I stayed behind. We finally made our way into Diagon Alley and our first thing was to hit Escape from Gringotts. We had nothing to stash in the lockers so we went right in and seriously my breath was taken away. 
