A Disney Girl visits the Darkside - Complete!!!

[angryduck71]

You're still bitter about Fred and Hedwig... my boyfriend's daughter (age 7) hasn't finished reading all the books or seeing all of the movies... and her favorite characters are Hedwig and Dobby. My son and her brother (who have read them all) are like, "she is going to SOB when she gets to those parts....." I dread that day... (I was in my late 30s when I cried outloud in the movie theater at Snape's death, so there you go!)

Nice report! Can't wait until our late May trip!

 

[ThinkTink09]

Definitely keeping an eye on this one! We too are crossing over to the Dark Side next year and I'm at a total loss....

I'll help in any way I can if you have any questions .

Nice update.......I liked the soft serve ice cream better than the hard.......the toffee was gorgeous

I would've liked to try that one! There were so many choices that sounded good, and just not enough time to try them all

 

[ThinkTink09]

You're still bitter about Fred and Hedwig... my boyfriend's daughter (age 7) hasn't finished reading all the books or seeing all of the movies... and her favorite characters are Hedwig and Dobby. My son and her brother (who have read them all) are like, "she is going to SOB when she gets to those parts....." I dread that day... (I was in my late 30s when I cried outloud in the movie theater at Snape's death, so there you go!)

Nice report! Can't wait until our late May trip!

Oh no!!! Poor thing doesn't know what's coming! Good luck!!

Thanks for reading along! And for being a compadre in the cries-like-a-baby-in-a theatre-camp!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Great updates and fantastic photos!

So nice that you were upgraded to a suite!! How fun!

I am hoping they work all the bugs out of Gringotts before our May trip....all the breakdown reports are a bit disappointing .

Looking forward to the next installment .

 

[ThinkTink09]

They had already unleashed the herd from the stay and scream areas when we exited Diagon Alley.


My sister was chomping at the bit because she had to wait for me to run back into the Leaky Cauldron to look for my sunglasses. No luck


Mourning the loss of my favorite pair of glasses (cheap though so no biggie), we made a beeline straight towards Halloween!!


We were looking forward to this one! My sister especially. She's always been a fan of the movies and a knife wielding murderer is her worst nightmare.





Loved the outside! The house and the music were awesome

As for the inside.....fantastic!!! Lots of good scares, excellent theming, sooo many details. We loved it! The sis's favorite house this year.


Afterwards, my sister realized she lost her sunglasses in the house. It was not a good day for glasses!!!

She joked around that after successfully holding onto the pair for 2 years, it was fitting they fell victim to Michael Myers.
RIP sunglasses.


The walking dead was already up to 120 minutes, so we repeated AVP. I enjoyed it more this time.


We headed over to The Rocky Horror Picture Show next. I've never seen the movie if you can believe it?!

I was very impressed with some of the singers! It makes you wonder how some popular artists today are the ones with a record deal.
We enjoyed the show. Worth seeing once!


We wandered around the scare-zones a bit, after the show. LOVED the Purge! I'll share more in a later post, but I'll say now that the concept and execution (get it?!? ) were phenomenal!!



My Halloween shirt


I love this pic! It's edited to protect the innocent (me!) from sisterly wrath due to unapproved image sharing Lol



After grabbing a drink and some popcorn, we were ready for some Bill and Ted!
Excellent!!


I absolutely adore this show! It's always so cleverly written, and you have to be on your toes to catch all of the jokes. Love all the Disney snark, and the magic band theme was hilarious.

I recently became addicted to the show Sherlock, so the part referencing it was too funny!! (Magic band....magic band...magic band....) LOL! And the 'I let my self go' number .....classic!


We meandered around a bit after the show, but were pretty much exhausted after our marathon day. All the houses had crazy long lines (Saturday), so we called it a night. No worries, we still have another night of HHN...Awesome!!!!



Next: IOA Water Fun!

 

[ThinkTink09]

Great updates and fantastic photos!

So nice that you were upgraded to a suite!! How fun!

I am hoping they work all the bugs out of Gringotts before our May trip....all the breakdown reports are a bit disappointing .

Looking forward to the next installment .

Thank you!

The suite was awesome!! And I still miss it.
I hope they do get it together with Gringotts...they should by May, I hope!!

 

[schumigirl]

Nice update........glad you enjoyed Halloween house.......my favorite house ever.......

You're right about the talent of the singers in RHS.......they are amazingly talented..........shame about your sunglasses........

 

[ksack]

I'll help in any way I can if you have any questions .

I'll let you! Dh keeps telling me it's too soon to plan.. like he knows!

 

[ThinkTink09]

Nice update........glad you enjoyed Halloween house.......my favorite house ever.......

You're right about the talent of the singers in RHS.......they are amazingly talented..........shame about your sunglasses........

I wish we would've gotten the chance to go through again! It was really fun!!

I'll help in any way I can if you have any questions .

I'll let you! Dh keeps telling me it's too soon to plan.. like he knows!

Too early!?! What does that mean??? LOL! Planning is half the fun

 

[ThinkTink09]

During our few day trips to Universal over the years, we'd always said that one day we would stay onsite and spend some time enjoying the water rides.

That day was today!


Ripsaw falls has such a great visual impact. Those little log flumes seem to fly!! I was really looking forward to finally getting to ride.




It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm and blue skies as far as the eye could see.

Since there was no one in line (literally), the queue seemed to be quite long. It was pretty dark in spots too. Actually there was someone behind us, and he was using a flashlight to see.

What a fun ride! The drop wasn't as steep or as long as it seems from the outside, but it still was great.



Oh boy were we cold exiting. It wasn't quite 1130, and there was a breeze...brrrr. I would have repeated it for sure otherwise.


Jurassic Park next!


This may be my favorite ride anywhere! I've always loved Jurassic Park...and this ride does a fabulous job of putting you in the movie - Freaky TRex and all!! The way it comes down at you right before the big drop...

So much fun


Next up was Bilge Rat Barges. Loved it! It was the best raft ride of that kind I've ever been on. It was longer than expected, and full drops, dips, and splashes. Waaay better than Kali River Rapids.

We found a nice spot in the comic area to sun-dry and people watch. It was such a lovely day!

For lunch we headed over to the Bread Box at city walk.

There were so many choices!!! I wish we'd had the chance to eat there again. I love sandwiches and could hardly decide which one to get. I ended up selecting the Pastrami. My sister had the BLT. Both were fab. I was expecting sauerkraut on mine, but it was really tasty without it.

We got it to go, and ate in the blissfully warm sunshine. There were plenty of tables on the second level for the variety of quick service stops.

The sister headed back to the room while I enjoyed some pool time. The water slide was fun!! I never did get the chance to try the lazy river.







HHN Final Night Next !

 

[ThinkTink09]

The game plan for our last night of HHN was to get in line for The Walking Dead as soon as we were released from the stay and scream area.


Apparently that was everyone else's plan too! The rope dropped in 2 phases. First to the start of the carnival games, and then near the entrance of TWD. My sister was at the front of the rope, but somehow I was a few people behind her. Not sure how that happened! I soon got a text from her "you're suppose to be behind me!?"

My Bad! I didn't hear the hunger games theme song playing in the background like she did as we were released.

I made my way next to her somehow, but it was NOT easy


30 minutes or so later we were at the entrance. (It's crazy how many people use their express passes at the beginning of the night!?) I had to laugh as a group of 6 predators walked by in a line, with their arms folded, into AVP.



Hershel's head.



I never really got into the show, but my sister loves it. We both really enjoyed the house. Apparently it was very loyal,in a creative way, to the show.


Afterwards I thought we might try Halloween again, but the line was longer than we were willing to wait. We did hit Dollhouse again. Still loved it!




We were getting hungry at this point, so we thought we'd give Finnegans a try.
Really liked this restaurant. And I adored the soda bread and apple butter!!




While we were eating, the scare actors from the purge would step up to the windows and glare in. One particular girl would hold up her knife and just stand there. This led to a video clip that I think will forever be one of my favorites!!

While I was recording the scare actor at the door, the guy seated at the table in front of us motioned for her to come inside. He holds his bread and his knife up into the air and then started stabbing repeatedly at his bread! I nearly died! It was so random and bizarre. I laugh every time I watch it!


They put your drinks in a plastic cup, which I thought was a great idea. So when we were finished eating we took our drinks outside and hung out on the bench to watch the purge.




Really, really fun area! They had an victim auctioning skit - including a van that drove through the streets with the victims, tons of scare actors, and a preppy, creepy guy that spoke monotone into a microphone.... "there's a man in a spongebob shirt heading towards Finnegans. Let's show him a good time boys and girls...muwahahaha".




We had so much fun watching all of it. I think we sat there for over an hour!


We ended the night roaming the scare zones one last time.




All in all, HHN did not disappoint. The ROF pass was an awesome deal, and we got to see and do everything in 3 days. The lines did grow quickly once night fell, but stay and scream kept our waiting to a minimum.
The only downside was the light pollution in some of the houses before nightfall. You loose a bit of the atmosphere and surprise, but it was worth it to avoid those crazy lines


My HHN ratings from Best to Worst:

Dollhouse of the Damned
Halloween
Bill and Ted
The Purge
The Walking Dead
Alien VS Predator
Face Off
Dracula
Giggles and Gore
Bayou of Blood
Roanoke
Masquerade
From Dusk till Dawn

Next: Return to IOA

 

[ThinkTink09]

After a refreshing sleep, it was time to head back to Islands of Adventure.


The weather was great again! The start of our vacation saw quite a bit of rain, but the Universal portion of our trip was mostly dry; luckily.




We hit the hulk first and then headed over to Dr. Doom where the doctor himself was waiting inside at the front of the queue. I thought it was a statue and had the pants scared off me when he grabbed my shoulder!! Love that ride - quite thrilling!


We wandered around the comics area for a bit then headed over to Mythos for lunch.



There was ice water available while we waited which I thought was a nice touch. After maybe a 10-15 min wait we were seated. ( I'll add we didn't have reservations any day and had no problems getting seated anywhere)



I don't recall what my sister had, but I had a burger. Your average burger, no complaints. The milk shake went down easy. I love it when they put a cherry on top!



I'm glad we tried Mythos. The atmosphere and view were great, but it was FREEZING in there!! We wouldn't go out of our way to repeat.




After lunch we meandered around the adventure area. The coin minters caught my eye. It was a medallion stand where you selected two images, your metal of choice, and then had a necklace created with a mould and a heavy weight.

There were so many options!! They gave us a reference sheet with all the choices and we left with a promise to perhaps return.


Time for Hogsmeade!




The Forbidden Journey was only a 20 minute wait. The queue for that ride is just as fun as the actual ride! I love everything about it. Dumbledore's study is my favorite, and I felt the urge to stick my head in the pensieve.


Gringotts actually has the edge as the better ride for me, but ONLY because FJ makes me a bit dizzy. Otherwise both are fantastic.


Hogsmeade selfie


Time for the Hogwarts express!

The wait was only 10 minutes. It was really well done. It was very easy to believe you were actually on a train traveling back to London.

The plan was to take the return trip back to IOA, but the wait was 55 minutes!? Huh??? I was considering waiting, but my sister wasn't feeling it, so we walked back over to IOA.



Dragon Challenge was up next, and then Honeydukes.


Of course I got a chocolate frog!




We wandered around Hogsmeade a bit more, and then decided that we both wanted a necklace from the minters. They were a fun pair of gents, and would fit in great at a renaissance fair.

I chose a shamrock and the green man, and my sister choice a Phoenix and the travelers compass. Huzzah!





We were both a bit tired at this point ( it was day 10 of a vacation where, despite saying we would relax more, we'd been going non-stop ). Back to the room it is!


Next: City Walk and Mini Golf

 

[pixeegrl]

Fun TR! We did the minters in 2008 I think and yes, they were wonderful! Have them on video!

 

[coastgirl]

Enjoying the report and the pics, thanks! Where is the HE "station" in Hogsmeade? Is it where it used to be on display near the front? Also my dd wants to know if they have a trolley on the Express.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Great updates, looks like you guys are having a blast!

 

[ThinkTink09]

Fun TR! We did the minters in 2008 I think and yes, they were wonderful! Have them on video!

Thank you for reading! They were a lot of fun

Enjoying the report and the pics, thanks! Where is the HE "station" in Hogsmeade? Is it where it used to be on display near the front? Also my dd wants to know if they have a trolley on the Express.

Thank you!
The HE station is right outside of the enterance to Hogsmeade. Not quite where the photo-op train is stationed, but to the right.
I was REALLY hopping there would be a trolley on the express selling candy also!! There wasn't though - too bad

 

[ThinkTink09]

Great updates, looks like you guys are having a blast!

Thank you

I wish I was back there right now!!! Its been too darn cold these last few mornings. I guess it is time to move to FL

 

[mrsabbott]

I am so glad you posted about the necklaces! I debated on the. The last time and then regretted not getting one later! I think I just may have to get one this year!

Lovely pics!

 

[ThinkTink09]

I am so glad you posted about the necklaces! I debated on the. The last time and then regretted not getting one later! I think I just may have to get one this year!

Lovely pics!

Yes you should!! I love my necklace
Thanks for reading!

 

[ThinkTink09]

After a rest, it was time to head to City Walk for dinner - Bubba Gump was the plan.




I'm not a major fan of the chain, but my sister just loves it. We've been many times to the one in Times Square and enjoy it. If you like shrimp, you can't go wrong there!


It was around 9, I believe, when we go there; and after a 20 minute wait or so we were seated. We scored an awesome table with a great view of city walk. The window was open to the air.




I wish I could remember what drinks we had...they were both really good!

No pics of the food, but I'll tell you that my sister ordered what she always does at Bubba's...Cajun shrimp and a side of hush pups. She said it was tastier than the one in NYC - spicer and loads more shrimp. High praise indeed as she loves this dish! I had the crab stuffed shrimp. It was delish.


After dinner we decided to try out the mini golf course. I've always thought it was just the neatest looking course, and was happy to finally get to try it!




Let me preempt the rest of this post and say that my sister and I are super competitive....sibling rivalry and all that

It got intense! There was a lot of happy Gilmore quotes being thrown about.." Go home ball. Why don't you go home!?"


We chose the haunted course and it was so much fun! The theming was really cute and the holes were just the right amount of challenging.


At the end, it was a tense few moments as we tallied the score.......


It. Was. A. Tie. Agghhhh!!


The golf attendant heard our joking, smack-talk and told us that there is a procedure for a tie! Cue Gladiator music....

We were lead back over to the first hole and were told whomever got the ball in, in the least amount of shots, would be the winner. BUT you had to use your left hand only, AND stand on one foot!!


We were laughing so hard it was a pretty impossible task. I lost!!!!! Boooo!


We ended up playing the other course since we were having so much fun. I redeemed myself on this one and pulled out a win!


If you're on the fence about the mini golf, I hope you try it! Nighttime I think is the better experience.


Back to Cabana bay! It was after midnight somehow...time flies when you're having fun!!


Want this Car!


Next: One more go at the Studios