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

[momabaarjo]

I am so glad to see that they sell Harry Potter Ornaments. Ornaments are the souvenirs that I usually buy because I will actually use them. You are very patient with teenagers. Mine are not quite that age yet but I am bracing myself. I have already seen signs of whats to come with my soon to be 10 year old.

I love ornments too...I always buy the kids a special one each year to represent something about the year that they liked or did. I found the Harry Potter ones on an end cap in Fitch's. They are pretty expensive though...about $20 each. There is also a great Christmas store in the Port of Entry of IOA...in a couple of updates I will share that shop with you!

Trust me it took everything I had not to explode on her...the crowds were getting yucky and I was tired of walking back and forth, but I really wanted her to buy something for herself. Ab is the opposite of the boys...their money burns holes in their pockets while her money grows cobwebs. We tried to stress to the kids to buy things that were useful as well as memorable from the trip...even if it meant that the price was a little high...each scarf was about $40....bit she loved wearing them all winter, she even wore one skiing this weekend!

 

[petals]

Those Christmas ornaments are cute and love the photo frame as well.

 

[shocky5]

I'm sorry that Goo got sick!

Good job by you and Ab and Boo for ending a late evening and still getting up early the next day! We failed miserably at that on our trip!

Happy that Boo got picked the 2nd time around at Olivanders.

I got tickled at Ab trying to decide on her purchase. Sounds familiar! (Which, by the way, I did successfully run Erin out of the shower after her hour long stint in the bathroom). You were a good mama to keep up with her decision making though!

Interested to hear what happened to Boo....

 

[annmarieda]

You latest update sounds like it wasn't so relaxing. And you lost Goo? Oh NOOOO!!! that is such a horrible feeling!

 

[Mom&RN]

So, it's not just teenage girls that take forever in gift shops. Let my 16 yr old son into the gift shop in Japan at Epcot and I will grow old waiting on him, really, really, really old

 

[vleeth]

You lost Boo! You lost Boo! And then what???

Okay I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for the rest of the story. I have so enjoyed your trip report. It has helped me to kill time while my husband is having surgery. We plan on being at the WWOHP for our 10th Anniversary in June....so excited!

 

[BrerMama]

Having just spent Spring Break with my 16 yo dd, who had $40 in birthday money to spend, I totally feel you. She spent down to her last dollar, going back and forth until she finally found the best use of her money.

 

[momabaarjo]

A Case of Child Abuse​

Yes, I admit I lost my son. I honestly thought he was standing with me while I was venting my frustration with my indecisive teenage daughter in the streets of Hogsmeade. So in a panic I try to call him on his cell, guess what he left it back at the hotel that morning! Thinking that maybe he continued onto the butter beer cart, I look there just as Ab is emerging with her second scarf out of Dervish and Banges and I race back to her wanting to know if Boo went in the store with her…ah, no (insert teenage girl voice). I think by now I am in full panic because the streets are wall to wall people and I forgot to put a meeting plan into place in case we got separated that morning. I stand there in the middle of the street turning round and round hoping that I see him at some turn, when Ab in her teenage disgust voice says there he is and points to the line in Diagon Alley for the entrance to Dervish and Banges.

Relief floods over me as I make my way over to him to drag him out of the line and give him the what for. Apparently he tried to slip into Dervish and Banges with Ab and was stopped by the CM and directed to the line for the store, which he got in line for thinking that it would go fast and he would catch up to Ab. He also pointed out that he knew where I was all the time…yes he was watching me the whole time I was in panic mode. Frustration, panic, relief…I need a butter beer! But before I get one, since we are practically standing in the entrance to the Dragon’s Challenge, I decide to ask if anyone wants to ride…

I am not sure if it is because Ab senses by frustration with her and she is trying to make it up with me, or if is is Boo feeling sorry for “getting” lost…whatever the reason behind it, they decide they will ride the Dragon Challenge with me. I probably stood there shocked for a few minutes, I am not sure…but they said YES! So I quickly push them into the Hogsmeade station

where I shove our belongings into one of those evil lockers and rush them through the archway. As we make our way to the loading area we take some time for pictures

Notice the crowd behind...​

and to look at the banners (okay I am trying to advert their attention away from the ride so no one will chicken out).

Following the path we find

Backside of Hagrid's Hut

From here we enter into the tower,

where we find the Tri-Wizard Challenge Cup.

Farther along the queue it is time to make our decision

Chinese Fireball (more aggressive coaster) or Hungarian Horntail​

and the moment Boo decides to chicken out! Yes he had a complete melt down (full scale with yelling and almost tears) right as we are to make our decision on which dragon to ride! Being the good mother that I am, I will not let him back out. After all he has come this far, he can do it. Right!? He starts screaming at me as I push him down the stairs (and yes, I am ignoring all the stares and looks, and pushing my child down the stairs). I continue to push him to the loading area and promise him that we are taking the easy coaster side and that he can sit in the middle...he keeps telling me that he will wait in child swap, which my reply was I have no idea where child swap is. Thank goodness we have the express pass, because I was able to basically push him onto the ride and before he knew it the ride was over.

​

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[momabaarjo]

Those Christmas ornaments are cute and love the photo frame as well.

I think so too...

I'm sorry that Goo got sick!

Me too...and am more sorry the way I acted about it.

Good job by you and Ab and Boo for ending a late evening and still getting up early the next day! We failed miserably at that on our trip!

Helps when you are a morning family anyway...

Happy that Boo got picked the 2nd time around at Olivanders.

Me too...that means the next 2 early entry days we don't have to do Olivander's first.

I got tickled at Ab trying to decide on her purchase. Sounds familiar! (Which, by the way, I did successfully run Erin out of the shower after her hour long stint in the bathroom). You were a good mama to keep up with her decision making though!

I would not call me a good momma...you should have heard the words I was thinking!

Interested to hear what happened to Boo....

You latest update sounds like it wasn't so relaxing. And you lost Goo? Oh NOOOO!!! that is such a horrible feeling!

It was an AWFUL FEELING!

So, it's not just teenage girls that take forever in gift shops. Let my 16 yr old son into the gift shop in Japan at Epcot and I will grow old waiting on him, really, really, really old

Don't get me started on how long we were in the gift shops in Epcot...this is my dd who normally hates to shop!

You lost Boo! You lost Boo! And then what???

Okay I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for the rest of the story. I have so enjoyed your trip report. It has helped me to kill time while my husband is having surgery. We plan on being at the WWOHP for our 10th Anniversary in June....so excited!

So glad to have you along...what a great place to celebrate your wedding anniversary!

Having just spent Spring Break with my 16 yo dd, who had $40 in birthday money to spend, I totally feel you. She spent down to her last dollar, going back and forth until she finally found the best use of her money.

UGH...I feel your pain

 

[annmarieda]

Great update! I am so glad Goo was not far and was found quick enough. And...what did he think about the ride? Looks kinda scary.

 

[momabaarjo]

Mother Knows Best​

We unload and I ask him if he is still alive. Beaming from ear to ear he wants to know if we can ride again (see mother does know best) after we get some butter beer of course. We stand for a few moments outside of the unloading area and watch the ride, he can’t believe he rode it and liked it.

We head back to the lockers and get our things and walk across the road towards the butter beer cart that has a LONG, LONG, LONG line and the kids groan with the thought of standing in that line…but mom knows best right (and she knows a secret to avoiding that line). We make our way around the line and enter into Hog’s Head Tavern,

where there is NO LINE for butter beer and I quickly order a round of butter beer for all (frozen of course) and then take the kids out the back into a quiet and empty courtyard/picnic area that has a wonderful view of Hogwarts.

We spend the next 15 or so minutes enjoying Hogwarts and deciding what to do next. The kids decide that they have done everything they wanted today in WWofHP and are ready to move on, of course that means Seuss Landing. As we leave WWofHP it is about 10:00 am and we notice that people are now being directed towards the stand by line entrance by Jurassic Park to enter…meaning WWofHP has reached capacity. We make our way quickly through the Lost Continent, not stopping but once we make it into Seuss Landing it is a whole different story as my kids are in the gift shop cycle and we spend time in each shop once again. Ab decides on a pair of Thing 1 & Thing 2 for her and one of her best friends. Boo doesn’t buy anything but is enjoying the looking. As we make it to the other end of Seuss Landing, Boo of course has to ride

but Ab is having nothing to do with this ride today. He ends up riding it a couple of times, since he has the express pass and it is walk on (for everyone else the wait is 45 minutes). We finally drag him off the ride and decide that it is time to get something to eat, and I need to call and check on Goo and Jeff. Of course, Ab already knows what she wants to eat…

Yes Cinnabon! We each get a roll (hey it is vacation I will walk it off, right) and find a nice table next to the Hulk

where of course I start in doing by best to convince them to ride with me…after all I reminded them that they rode the Dragon Challenge and liked it…remember mom knows best! So will I convince them?

 

[annmarieda]

I am glad he liked the ride!!

Good for you knowing a way to get the butterbeer without waiting in the huge line out front!!

I hope that Jeff and Boo were doing ok...

And... will Goo and Ab ride with you. hmmm can't wait to find out.

 

[reelmom]

I have been known to put a crying child on a ride.
But it is for their own good. They love to ride coasters now. However, they may have to put a crying Mama on Dragon Challenge and Hulk this trip. Those coasters look scary to me.

 

[momabaarjo]

Port of Exit​

There is something about the Dragon Challenge being hidden until you are on it and then just sitting and watching the Hulk scream past you. Of course, I could not get them on it! I call Jeff and Goo had just gotten up, had him in the tub and thinks that he will be okay to go in awhile, looks like my touring plans for the rest of the day are about to get back on schedule. We finish up our cinnabons and head into the Port of Entry where once again we are in every gift store.

My favorite stop was the Christmas Store, where I bought Abigail a 2nd ornament of the Grinch with her name on it (I know she is spoiled...but once we get to the Christmas store in DTD, the boys will get a special one too).

We go across to the large merchandise store where Boo tells me he likes shopping in the Port of Entry the best. Why? I ask. Because they have a lot of the Harry Potter stuff here and we don’t have to fight the crowds in the small stores. And yes, those darn scarves…all of them are here in 1 place, he let Ab know it!

Ab and Boo are ready to tour USO, but before we can do that we have to get Goo and Jeff so we head back, and yes, on foot , no water taxi. Along the way we find these plants…which we all decided had to where Dr. Seuss got his inspiration.

When we finally make it back up to the hotel room I find Goo laying in bed watching cartoons…looks like he is feeling lots better so I set about trying to get him dressed and Jeff out the door for we have a whole new park to explore! Since USO is on the opposite end of City Walk I agree to the water taxi, which of course got a rounding applause.

Looking at this picture now of Goo waiting for the water taxi, I should have known we were pushing our luck and he and Jeff should have stayed behind. But, I wanted us to be together as a family enjoying the parks not part of us sitting in the hotel room and the ones out having fun filling guilty. But hindsight is 20/20.

We make our way to USO and through the gates...

Where should we go first?

 

[momabaarjo]

I am glad he liked the ride!!

Me too...or I would have been the one not hearing the end of it for the rest of the trip...instead of the other way around.

Good for you knowing a way to get the butterbeer without waiting in the huge line out front!!

I hope that Jeff and Boo were doing ok...

And... will Goo and Ab ride with you. hmmm can't wait to find out.

I have been known to put a crying child on a ride.

If it was something I knew that they could not handle, then I would not do it...but this boy can handle it.

But it is for their own good. They love to ride coasters now. However, they may have to put a crying Mama on Dragon Challenge and Hulk this trip. Those coasters look scary to me.

Really they are probably the easiest ones USO has to offer...I like the hanging coasters the best...less jarring on the neck and they do not seem as intense!

 

[BrerMama]

I have some serious ride chickens in my family. My 18 year old son will be the one who won't ride anything this trip and there is just no way I'm going to force that boy -- who is six inches taller than me -- onto a ride. He won't even do Expedition Everest. I'm so glad you got your boy on it and that he liked it!

 

[petals]

Luvin the updates! I am a serious chicken and won't ride anything that goes faster than small world

 

[annmarieda]

Great update!

Sounds like you have left a bit of a cliffhanger again... Goo wasn't feeling up to going out of the room? Oh no!!!

cute ornaments!

 

[lovethattink]

Love the updates. The butter beer mustaches are cute. Goo looks exhausted at v the end. I vote for Men in Black first.

 

[momabaarjo]

Magic...Mirror...on...the wa...​

By this time all touring plans I had for this day are basically out the window, and I really am trying to be OKAY with that, so thinking of what is close that Goo would enjoy and would be the least taxing on him, I decide Shrek...

and with the Express pass we find that we have very little wait time for the next show. We make our way into the staging area and are situated near the back where it is very hard to hear or see what is going on, especially if you are a little guy so I pick Goo up and hold him.

I have to say here that I hate all of the Universal “show” attractions staging areas. They try and pack the entire audience into the area and it is just uncomfortable and disorganized. There has to be a better way to get you into the story line.

Worse than the pre show is then getting into the auditorm itself, total chaos…come on people everyone will get a seat.

Goo is excited that as we walk in we get a pair of 3D glasses, but Boo wants to know why they are 3D and the sign says that this is a 4D attraction.

Farquaad: [Slowly and dramatically to the looking glass] Magic... mirror... on... the wa...
Gingerbread Man: DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING! ​

I tell him just to wait and he will find out. We make our way to a seat and sit down in antipcation as to what is going to happen next. What happened next was lots of giggles of delight and many more groans at the puns. As we leave the show, Boo announces that he gets it…not only is the screen 3D but all the special effects around him make it 4D. He is impressed. Goo seems to be handling it alright when we get back out on the street so I consult the map and schedule as what to do next…yes, my touring plan is pretty much out the door because I am trying to keep things easy for Goo. I notice on the schedule that the Monster Make Up Show is set to start in 30 minutes and think that would be a good choice for him, but first we have to make it past...