A No Snooze Bar Christmas, Harry & Mickey are Waiting..it is done

[annmarieda]

Don't let the empty street fool you...Diagon alley is a dead end (if you look closely at the picture with Goo you will see people at the end of the street...they are part of the line for Olivander's. Diagon Alley later in the day becomes the waiting line area for Dervish and Banges...yes, I said waiting line for a gift shop! By midmorning, you have to WAIT IN LINE to get in the gift shops!

That is super crazy!!!! wait in line to get into the shop? Just another reason I think the crowds were way more than I could have imagined they would be.

 

[Monknmom]

That is super crazy!!!! wait in line to get into the shop? Just another reason I think the crowds were way more than I could have imagined they would be.

I agree Ann!!! Although during a parade I wanted to get a hotdog for Damien and the wait for Casey's was just nuts, plus the security guards trying to clear the street I had to stand in line in!

sometimes the low key movie nights are the best! And I don't like the movies that make me cry either! Yes I have to look into replacing that screen! Oh my what am I to do with this little monkey?
Oh my that means more cliffhangers to come? LOL it's okay I'm up for the reading! But just to let you know when books do this to me I have no paitience I flip to the last chapter, read it and go back to where I was! But I can't do that here...
I love the videos! I'm so happy that she got choosen! She did deserve it!!! Oh and she got a wand that suites her with caring powers (is that what he said?)! Does she get to keep it? Oh well nevermind I guess not. I thought that if you were picked you got to keep it but I guess that would be bad business? And she is so great that she is happy enough with the memory!
LOL I love it how Ab is correcting the mistakes that they made! They should have hired her! Now that you say that I see all of the people in back of Goo! A waiting line for a gift shop? Crazy!

 

[lovethattink]

But I guess that's because there is a limit to how many get into the "wand show" first?

 

[momabaarjo]

But I guess that's because there is a limit to how many get into the "wand show" first?

NO, EVERY SHOP IN WWofHP has a line system...because the shops are so small and there are so many people trying to get in they have to have a queue set up to handle the crowds...CRAZY!

So you have really 3 choices for the start of your touring...

1. Head to Forbidden Journey
2. Olivanders
3. Gift Shops

All of these will end up with waits by midmorning on peak to moderate crowd days...

 

[momabaarjo]

sometimes the low key movie nights are the best!
I have to agree...I have one planned next Friday that I am excited about!


And I don't like the movies that make me cry either! Yes I have to look into replacing that screen! Oh my what am I to do with this little monkey?
Oh my that means more cliffhangers to come? LOL it's okay I'm up for the reading! But just to let you know when books do this to me I have no paitience I flip to the last chapter, read it and go back to where I was!

Me too, but this is my book and the only ending is that you know we get home!

But I can't do that here...
I love the videos! I'm so happy that she got choosen! She did deserve it!!! Oh and she got a wand that suites her with caring powers (is that what he said?)! Does she get to keep it?

Only if she pays $30 plus tax!!!

Oh well nevermind I guess not. I thought that if you were picked you got to keep it but I guess that would be bad business? And she is so great that she is happy enough with the memory!

Ab is like her dad...a tight wad! That is a good trait to have, cause the boys have money burning holes in their pockets...I used to be that way, but now I am somewhere inbetween!

LOL I love it how Ab is correcting the mistakes that they made! They should have hired her!

No, instead of hiring her they went for the big guns...JK Rowling herself...Ab would have been cheaper! Don't figure you write the book, you could let someone else design, right?

Now that you say that I see all of the people in back of Goo! A waiting line for a gift shop? Crazy!

The line behind Goo gets up to a 3 hour wait...yes 3 hours for a 1 in 40 chance to get picked in about a 15 minute show!

 

[lovethattink]

That's insane. I'll stick to "Seuessland".

 

[petals]

That is so cool that Ab got picked for the wands in Ollivanders.

 

[momabaarjo]

Parseling Our Way Into Hogwarts​

...where the sign posts a 20 minute wait for Forbidden Journey…that is a wait time I can handle (trust me, we saw a wait time later in the day and week of 210 minutes...yes that is almost 3 hours IN LINE) . The kids focus back their attention to the castle above them and the ohhhhs and ahhhs begin again.

We quickly walk through the entrance...

and I am relieved that we can by pass the locker area with our backpack still on Jeff’s back…we are doing rider swap so nothing has to be stored, no messing with the DREADED-EVIL UNIVERSAL RIDE LOCKERS (and trust me from personal experience THEY ARE EVIL, not to mention as much of a pain as Draco)! As we parsel (for non HP fans...parsel is a snake) our way through the bottom chambers of the castle...

Mirror of Erised

I am amazed at all the twists and turns…they must really be expecting a large crowd in a few hours to have the line already set up like this, until we finally reach the greenhouse...

Mandrakes

Even though the ride board said 20 minutes, no time did our line ever stop because of waiting for crowds (just stopping when going through the castle to take in the theming)…we just kept moving. Normally, I would not mind if we did not stop but this was our first time into the castle and I wanted the kids to enjoy each room. There was a lot of times that we simply told people to go around us. Finally, the moment is here...

​

​

 

[Monknmom]

I love all of the pictures Tammie! It looks nice.... but a 210 minute wait time? WOW that's worse then TSM! I guess that those TSM guests should be thankful!

 

[annmarieda]

20 minutes is not at all a bad wait time. Especially when you are snaking (or whatever the word you used is) through the queue for all of that. I think the Nemo ride in Epcot is a lot like that... no one to wait on, but a super long queue that takes the time to get through..

 

[momabaarjo]

I love all of the pictures Tammie! It looks nice.... but a 210 minute wait time? WOW that's worse then TSM! I guess that those TSM guests should be thankful!

Yep, never would wait that long for ANY RIDE...we saw ride times like this all over USO/IOA that Christmas week...and that people is why we pay to stay at on-site hotels...the EXPRESS PASS gets you almost walk on for most rides...Forbidden Journey, well you will find out our secret in a few more posts to avoid this line!

20 minutes is not at all a bad wait time. Especially when you are snaking (or whatever the word you used is) through the queue for all of that. I think the Nemo ride in Epcot is a lot like that... no one to wait on, but a super long queue that takes the time to get through..

Nemo...trying to figure out why people call Stitch the worst ride...

 

[FosterA]

I just can't imagine how cool all this stuff must look in real life since the photos are amazing. I bet your kids were going nuts

Now is Jeff a Pot-head? Did he read the books or maybe just watch the movies? Did he appreciate all the sites?

Naturally we'll be waiting for more updates!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Hi I just want to say I;m enjoying your TR so far but have a small concretion. The statue in the Que for the Forbidden Journey you took a picture of isn't Voldemort (He who must not be named) but instead it's the statue of the humpbacked which that is in front of one of the secret passages to Hogsmeade. Harry uses it in the third book to visit when he doesn't have permission from the Dursleys.

 

[momabaarjo]

Hi I just want to say I;m enjoying your TR so far but have a small concretion. The statue in the Que for the Forbidden Journey you took a picture of isn't Voldemort (He who must not be named) but instead it's the statue of the humpbacked which that is in front of one of the secret passages to Hogsmeade. Harry uses it in the third book to visit when he doesn't have permission from the Dursleys.

You are so right! Stand corrected by both you and my children...

 

[momabaarjo]

I just can't imagine how cool all this stuff must look in real life since the photos are amazing. I bet your kids were going nuts

Now is Jeff a Pot-head? Did he read the books or maybe just watch the movies? Did he appreciate all the sites?

Naturally we'll be waiting for more updates!

Jeff is a movie fan... He did appreciate all of the theming touches and understood what was going on. I believe that the premise of WWofHP surrounds books 1-4 which the movies did a very good job of including most of the really big things (book 1 is almost just like the movie...the closest match).

 

[momabaarjo]

From Book, to Movie, to AMAZING​

...the moment we step inside Hogwart's!!! Will my 2 Pot-heads love the things they are about to see and be blown away?

Architect of Hogwarts Statue

(He is the one who designed Hogwarts)

House Points Display

...Go Gryffindor!

Secret Entrance into Dumbledore's Office

Portrait Hall

Dumbledore's Office

The man himself appears to us and warns us about our journey...

Defense of the Dark Arts Classroom

Look who appears before our eyes in the classroom and shares a few secrets about the journey (err, ride that lays ahead for us muggles).

Make sure you stick around in this classroom and the 3 young wizards will make it snow!

Hallway Bulletin Board and Locker

Fat Lady Portrait

yes, that is how she is referred to in both the books and the movies...she guards the entrance into the Gryffindor Hall.

After making our way through the various rooms, we reach the...

Who does not tell us which house we will be sorted into, but directions about boarding the ride. We make our way towards the front of the line and continue to prepare Goo that he is not riding…been preparing him since I began planning the trip. He is disappointed and when we reach the front Jeff takes him to the child swap room...

where he gets to watch a Harry Potter movie. Ab, Boo and I head into the Great Hall...

where we are loaded onto our broomsticks...

and whisked away into the books.

I am not going to post spoilers here about the ride, but just let me tell you it is AMAZING! Forbidden Journey is truly a step above ANY ride that I have ever been on! Between the feeling of a hanging coaster (without the drops), the visual 4D story unfolding on the screens in front of you, and the well done theming/props/sets as you move through the story...AMAZING! All too quickly our ride comes to an end…Ab and Boo are hooked. They too thought it was the best thing ever and excited to ride again with dad. We make our way to the child swap room with Ab and Boo telling dad all about the ride as they head back to be whisked away again into the World of Harry Potter. Will Jeff love the ride as much as we do?

 

[addictedtothemouse]

The video of Ab getting picked brought tears to my eyes. The smile on her face when the wand picked her was priceless.
I would love to see WWoHP but the rest of Universal doesn't tempt me, I'm so not a fan of trill rides.

 

[Dream426]

Great updates. My SIL would love to read this. She can't wait to go to WWoHP.

 

[annmarieda]

Poor Goo for not being able to ride. That looks like a very cool ride. I am trying to picture what those seats do... then again... maybe I don't want to picture it.... I do not need any other things on my "to do" travel list.

 

[momabaarjo]

The video of Ab getting picked brought tears to my eyes. The smile on her face when the wand picked her was priceless.
I would love to see WWoHP but the rest of Universal doesn't tempt me, I'm so not a fan of trill rides.

You know there are lots of other things I like about Universal other than the thrill rides and WWofHP...being a teacher I love Seuss, Jurassic Park Discovery Center is fun...MIB...CityWalk

Great updates. My SIL would love to read this. She can't wait to go to WWoHP.

We all want to go back, and have agreed we will not do USO/IOA again until the rumored (still rumor) HP expansion is completed!

Poor Goo for not being able to ride. That looks like a very cool ride. I am trying to picture what those seats do... then again... maybe I don't want to picture it.... I do not need any other things on my "to do" travel list.

Ann...think inverted rollar coaster without the loops and cork screws...and not as fast....the arm above the seats moves you in all types of directions...when I got stopped on the ride during my first visit it was fun to lean out and look at the mechanics...wait until my next update to see if you really want to do this!

Goo was prepared he could not ride...last summer I marked 48 inches on the wall in the kitchen to prepare him for size requirements...he who talks big, became all talk on several other rides...stayed tuned!