Candy Apples, Monsters, Haunted Houses, Scare Zones, Strange Things an Exorcist and more. Is there a Doctor in the House? HHN 32 trip.

[Robo56]

Saturday, September 9, 2023

It’s finally arrived


Now back to our regularly scheduled program. It was nice to reminisce on a little of HHN‘s past leading up to this trip.



SUV was all packed and gave my hubby a last kiss and out the door I went.

I stopped by and picked my sister K up and we got on the road about 7:30 pm. It is easier getting through Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta when traveling at night.

Daytime travel on Highway 24 and highway 75 can be hectic during the day.

We made good time traveling.

I always stop to fill up my gas tank when it gets to half tank. It is a problem if there is accident on any area of the long drive down. In past experiences being stopped up for a few hours because of accidents I learned to keep my tank topped off often.

Of course we had to make a stop at the





If you have never stopped at Buc-ee‘s it is the Walmart of gas stations. There are a gazillion gas pumps. There are so many items in the store for sale they have grocery carts….LOL

They are known for their fresh brisket and barbecue sandwich‘s.

Their bathrooms are very clean.

Even if you only stop for gas and use the facilities it is worth a quick stop to get gas and stretch your legs.



Sunday, September 10th

We traveled until 5 am and I was ready for sleep.

We found a Comfort Suites in Macon, Georgia that was very nice and checked in and had a good sleep for 6 hours then it was back on the road. It was Sunday morning and I was hoping for easy traveling on the roads.

The drive was pretty uneventful until we reached The Florida Turnpike. We were on the turnpike about 20 minutes when we were stopped completely.

After sitting for 20 minutes we looked online and it was posted that a car was in the water ahead.

Over the period of the next 20 minutes massive amounts of emergency vehicles were making their way along the sides of the Turnpike to reach the accident ahead.

We were stopped there for 3 hours. We said prayers for those involved then watched the kindness people in other stopped cars nearby. A young man in the car next to us was keeping us abreast of the news as he was pretty savvy on his phone.

He told us he had a cooler full of water and sodas and asked if we needed anything. We had drinks in the SUV so we were ok.

What a kind young man.

Once the traffic started moving again we passed by a big tractor trailer that was wrecked on the side of the road. The cab of the truck was totally burned to ashes and there was a wrecked SUV.

I was trying to think about where a car could have gone off the road into the water, but it was to dark to see anything else.

I wanted to get off the Turnpike so once we got to Orlando I took the 528 E to the 520 and then onto 95.

We stopped at Pollo Tropical in Palm Bay for a quick drive thru dinner as I was tired. It was late and it was open.

We ended up getting to my house about before midnight.

I set my sister up in one of my guest bedrooms and then I was ready to head to my room for a bath and my bed.

Needless to say I was out like a light after that long drive.



To be continued

 

[Robo56]

Monday, September 11th

It was wonderful to wake up and see palms trees when I opened the shades on my slider doors. Hubby has a pretty nice selection of Palm trees planted in the yard and it is very tropical looking.

This is a view out star gazing one evening In my backyard. That is a Royal Palm. They grow very tall and are beautiful to look at.


I’am an early riser and my sister was still asleep so I decided to go have a look at the Halloween display at Home Depot. Our local Home Depot does the best Halloween animatronic display of any store. Thought this would really set the mood for HHN.

They had all the pedals to step on and activate all the animatronics pulled forward so you could conveniently step on them and watch the displays come to life. I had a fun time checking them all out.






This vampire bat was huge and scary. I loved it.

 

[Robo56]

I laughed when I saw this one. Only in Florida could you get a Halloween skeleton Gator.


After my visit to Home Depot I stopped and gas the SUV at Sam’s and went to Starbucks for a couple pumpkin cream cold brews and a couple of muffins.

When I arrived back home my sister was up and we had our breakfast and chilled for awhile.

I told her about our local TJ Max store. It is one of the best TJ Max stores I have every been too. Their jewelry counter has some of the best Halloween jewelry. They carry fun Betsy Johnson pieces. They also carry Gucci jewelry which I have never seen at another TJ Max.

So we went and shopped some fun Halloween Jewelry at TJ Max and other Halloween themed decorations. We had a great time.

It was starting to get late in the afternoon and we needed to decide on dinner.

There is a Mulligan’s restaurant that sits by the beach on the Ocean so we decided to have dinner there.

The food at Mulligan‘s was better in the past. It is still ok, but the view of the Ocean is incredible.


After dinner we sat by the Ocean for awhile.





Then it was time to get back to the house and get things ready to leave in the morning for our trip up to Portofino.

After a nice hot bath I was ready for a good nights sleep.




To be continued

 

[wdwrule]

Ahhhhh … HHN reminiscing, Halloween displays & jewelry and my favorite fall Starbucks drink: pumpkin cream cold brew! Great report and stunning pictures!

 

[Robo56]

Ahhhhh … HHN reminiscing, Halloween displays & jewelry and my favorite fall Starbucks drink: pumpkin cream cold brew! Great report and stunning pictures!

So glad you are enjoying the report and pictures.

Nothing says Fall and sets the mood for the Halloween season like a pumpkin cream cold brew from Starbucks.

 

[Robo56]

Tuesday, September 12th

I was up with the chickens so to speak again this morning. I opened the slider doors and made myself a large cup of coffee. Thank the Lord for keurig coffee makers.

I was looking forward to getting this vacation formally started. My idea of a vacation is just having fun and not being concerned about doing all the life stuff we always do. Like cooking, cleaning, normal everyday things.

After my sister woke up we made sure we had everything we needed loaded in the SUV. Then we were off on our trip up to the Portofino Bay Resort.

We stopped by Starbucks drive thru for a coffee and breakfast sandwich. I will admit I do love a good Pumpkin Cream cold brew during the Fall season.

With breakfast in hand we were off to get on 95. If you have ever driven on 95 you know it is like the Indy 500. I’am not bothered to much by it, but I could see how others would not find it pleasant to drive on.

When I travel up to Universal I take the 95 to the 520 to 528 and then on to the I 4 for just a little over a mile then up to Universal Drive. It is the quickest route for me.

We had a nice chat about HHN on the way up.

Before we knew it we had arrived at Portofino. We parked and I went in to check in.

The Lobby of the Portofino is beautiful and the smell of the Lobby is incredible. For anyone who is interested the aroma scent in the Lobby is called “Bright Sunshine”.

I was greeted by the lovely Jessica at the front desk. It is so nice to be greeted by a happy, welcoming smile.

We were staying Club level this trip and Jessica was so nice to make sure we had a room that had easy access to the club lounge. The club lounge is located on the same level as the Lobby. Not far from the check in and Guest Services.

We were given a Villa room on the 5th Floor of the main building overlooking Bay. The room was beautiful and the view was very nice.

Jessica said our room was ready which was awesome.

It was so nice to be welcomed so kindly back to my vacation home away from home.

We unloaded our luggage and took it to the room. We had a 2 queen deluxe level room.

The room was spotless, bright and cheerful and we were ready for our vacation to start.

I always bring extra hangers on vacation especially when I have family along for vacation. I like to hang all my clothes in the closet and so does my sister.

I went to park the SUV and when I got back we each hung up our clothes and we each had plenty of drawer space to put our things away. In the rooms there are 3 large drawers on both sides of the TV console that house the mini fridge. So that is plenty of storage. After unpacking we put our luggage in the closet and we were set.

Our view from the room.




My sister K always brings her various comfy blankets on her trips to put on her bed for naps. You can teach an old dog new tricks….LOL..now I bring my Potter Blankets.


The night stand in between the queen beds has plenty of plug ins to charge your devices. There are more plug ins on the table near the window wall with a light stand and two chairs. It is really a nice large room with plenty of light. Very cheerful.

After we were done setting things the way we wanted them in our room we decided to head down to the club lounge for a soda and look around. We were given the Club Level information on check in.



I had stayed Club level before and had never really looked around very closely since they had done the beautiful renovation of the Club lounge. The last time I had been there it was busy so I did not take photos.

There was no one there when we went in so it was a nice time to look around.

 

[Robo56]

The lounge is set up on a couple levels with plenty of rooms and seating options for your comfort. The lounge is beautiful and has a lovely view of the Bay.








For lunch snacking there is plenty of fresh fruit.


Pastries and Crudités


There are usually fresh tortia chips and salsa and hummus and small pita for dipping.



There is tea and lemonade and fruit waters as well as a filled refrigerator with sodas and water for you to choose from.





There is a nice selection for a light snack if you want one.

The lounge staff are wonderful and very welcoming to everyone who comes in. They go out of their way to make sure your experience in the Club lounge is a good one.

They keep all the food and drinks freshly stocked and the tables cleaned and waiting for the next guest.

Over the 11 nights we were there we enjoyed talking to the Lounge Staff. All the Staff were fantastic, but there were some stars in our book. Mr Greg was incredible and always had a smile on his face and went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy with their experience in the lounge as did Braxton and Daniel.

I will share more about the lounge later.


To be continued

 

[Robo56]

Wanted to take a moment to remember the wonderful Actor Michael Gambon who played Albus Dumbledore.





May he rest in peace.

 

[disneyseniors]

Thank you Robo, for the posts of early HHN's. They were beautiful in a creepy sort of way, LOL.
I'm enjoying your trip report, and Portofino's looks very nice.
I am also a retired RN with a husband who doesn't really want to visit Universal, mainly because of some mobility issues he has.
So this winter, my daughter and I are going to Universal for a get away girl trip. I have never been during HHN and probably never will because I am a BIG scaredy Cat! I would probably have a heart attack in one of the houses, but I love hearing about them.
So sorry to hear about Michael GAmbon. He did a great job as Dumbledore. We are big fans of Harry Potter, so we will spend most of our time there. I especially love Knockturn alley.
Awaiting more of your trip report!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Enjoying your report. We stayed at PB 9/7-9/10 this year for HHN. We love staying here. It is our 4th time I think.
We had a really nice room with a big balcony this time!
Excited to hear about your stay!

 

[Robo56]

Thank you Robo, for the posts of early HHN's. They were beautiful in a creepy sort of way, LOL.

Thank you, Ruth I do like HHN. The photos are pretty creepy..LOL

I'm enjoying your trip report, and Portofino's looks very nice.
I am also a retired RN with a husband who doesn't really want to visit Universal, mainly because of some mobility issues he has.
So this winter, my daughter and I are going to Universal for a get away girl trip. I have never been during HHN and probably never will because I am a BIG scaredy Cat! I would probably have a heart attack in one of the houses, but I love hearing about them.
So sorry to hear about Michael GAmbon. He did a great job as Dumbledore. We are big fans of Harry Potter, so we will spend most of our time there. I especially love Knockturn alley.
Awaiting more of your trip report!

I think that is awesome that you are a retired RN too. Both of my sisters are RN’s. My older sister retired about 4 years ago and my younger sister K who was on the trip with me is still working as a RN.

What a wonderful trip to look forward to with your daughter. I‘am sure you both will have a wonderful time.

It was sad to hear about Michael Gambon‘s death. His role in playing Albus Dumbledore touched many lives for sure. I’am a fan of Harry Potter too.

What a magnificent way Universal has brought the WWOHP to life at Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley is my favorite place to go and cool off after a visit to the park during the day.

I wish they would make the Death Eater Performance that is going on now a regular part of Diagon Alley’s shows.

If the powers that be are reading this it would be a wonderful addition.

Thank you for joining in to read my trip report.

Enjoying your report. We stayed at PB 9/7-9/10 this year for HHN. We love staying here. It is our 4th time I think.
We had a really nice room with a big balcony this time!
Excited to hear about your stay!

Thank you disneyAnd14. Sounds like you are another fan of Portofino.

What a lovely treat to have a room with a balcony. I‘am so glad to hear you received that. Portofino Bay is a special place for sure.

I hope you had a nice time at HHN. It was for sure pretty busy while we were there.

It is so nice to have you reading along.

 

[keishashadow]

After dinner we sat by the Ocean for awhile

Beautiful!

The Lobby of the Portofino is beautiful and the smell of the Lobby is incredible. For anyone who is interested the aroma scent in the Lobby is called “Bright Sunshine”.

I’ve always enjoyed our stays there! Has a quiet elegance.

wish they would make the Death Eater Performance that is going on now a regular part of Diagon Alley’s shows.

Would you believe I missed it every night? Grr.

Meanwhile, m3gans ever night clogging up the walkways lol

Was told no set schedule for deatheaters to appear. We waited over an hour one night, least we had ice cream!

Did you happen to figure out when they do appear?

 

[Robo56]

I’ve always enjoyed our stays there! Has a quiet elegance.

It is so nice at Portofino. Yes, it does have a quiet elegance. Perfect description.

Would you believe I missed it every night? Grr.

Ok I will go back and look through my pictures on my phone for the day we saw them.

Meanwhile, m3gans ever night clogging up the walkways lol

I never saw the Megans.

Did you happen to figure out when they do appear?

It was Friday night. I had heard they were coming out on the hour, but we were setting at the tables by the Hopping Pot and the show started about 7:55 pm. They start from the stage area right by the Hopping Pot

The Death Eaters then roam all over Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. They are on the move and are out for a good 25 minutes or so.

Then they were out again within 25 minutes to half hour after their last performance.

They are really cute with the littles. One little girl challenged one of them to a wand duel and it was so nice to see them have fun with her. She loved it.

 

[Robo56]

Tuesday, September 12th continued



After a snack in the Club lounge we decided to go have a walk and look around the shops at CityWalk.

I always like to look and see what new merchandise they have come up with. We also wanted to see what was on offer for Halloween HHN Merchandise.

I did not want to go into the parks today as I wanted to save my legs and feet for the Unmasking the Horror Tour I was taking in the morning. It was the 6 house tour and I knew there would be plenty of walking.


The big Universal Store had a Death Eater window display.


And inside they had this nice display of Death Eater Merchandise.


When I’am looking at merchandise I will usually take a photo of things I might be interested in and then come back and purchase them later and have what I purchased sent back to the Resort so I don’t have to worry about carrying things back to the room.

All onsite Resort guests can send their purchases from the Parks and CityWalk back to their Resort room. You need to be there at least 3 days typically. Your purchases will usually be delivered to your room the next day.

If you are there for only the day you can have your purchases held for you to pick up once you leave on your way out of the parks.

This nightshirt and short pajama set were new and the material was so soft. I did end up buying the night shirt.




This was a cute sign. If you have a Harry Potter room this would be a nice addition,


I saw a few guy walking around with this Weezley’s Wizard Wheezes shirt.


I have a collection of these pendants. They usually sell for 19.99 a piece so this is a good deal. They are nice quality and great gifts for a Potter Fan. The picture does not do them justice


This Niffler backpack and Wallet were cute

 

[Robo56]

They had a nice selection of the small stuffed Harry Potter Characters




A few years ago there used to be a Celebration of Harry Potter event that was held at Universal at the end of January If I remember correctly. I went to one of the event presentations and MinaLima the Prop and Graphic Design Studio that was responsible for the art seen in the Harry Potter movies was there giving a presentation. This puzzle looks like their work.


I had not seen this Hog’s Head shirt before.


The hats. Glasses and coasters were new too.


I was tempted to add the Sword of Gryffindor to my Potter collection.


I noticed these illuminating wands.

I had noticed these Medallion Boards when I was up for Mardi Gras in February.

 

[Robo56]

These are really cute backpacks and wallets of Diagon Alley


I had not seen this shirt before.


Or this stitched Diagon Alley purse.


They had some nice HoneyDukes merchandise


I collect WWOHP ornaments and they had really upped their ornament selection. I have a Harry Potter Tree set in the corner my formal living room. So I was looking for some ornaments to add to it.



My new additions were the Three Broomsticks


The Hog’s Head


And the light up Marauder’s map. It opens up to show the lighted feet moving when you turn it on.





I was tempted by the Acceptance Letter Ornament, but that can be for next time.

 

[wdwrule]

Tuesday, September 12th continued

Haha I had to chuckle at your awesome GIF. That witch means business stirring up that cauldron

PBH is my favorite resort. It’s just so lovely and you feel like you’re far removed from the hustle bustle. We stayed club level as well there; a couple of years ago during the renovation although it was still lovely with excellent service. Wow from looking at your pics, it’s absolutely exquisite! We always loved their variety of food offerings too. We were also fortunate and surprised to get a bay view room which had that stunning view. So glad you got it! Loving your trip report!!

 

[Robo56]

Little boo Merch is still hot this year. There was a LiL Boo search map you could purchase and look for all the LiL Boo’s on the map.





There was some fun Minion Halloween merch too. My little Great-Nephew J who is turning 4 was for sure going to get some Minion things because he loves the Minions


Little FYI on the popcorn buckets if you buy any of them. Your first fill is free with purchase. You don‘t have to use your bucket they can give it to you in a bag or whatever they use. The deal is that you have to do the free popcorn fill on the day you purchase the popcorn bucket.

My sister little J’s grandma who was on vacation with me bought little J this.


They had a zombie Tim of Bob the Minions Bear. It is exclusive to HHN and of course Auntie R bought him one of these.


I was very tempted to buy little J this E-Liminator X, but I thought my niece would not be happy with little J running around the house making noise with this.

He already has the Fart Gun provided by “she who shall not be named”…LOL




To be continued

 

[Robo56]

Haha I had to chuckle at your awesome GIF. That witch means business stirring up that cauldron

I know…LOL…they have the funnest halloween gifs now to use on the internet.

PBH is my favorite resort. It’s just so lovely and you feel like you’re far removed from the hustle bustle. We stayed club level as well there; a couple of years ago during the renovation although it was still lovely with excellent service. Wow from looking at your pics, it’s absolutely exquisite! We always loved their variety of food offerings too. We were also fortunate and surprised to get a bay view room which had that stunning view. So glad you got it! Loving your trip report!!

PBH is beautiful. They do a wonderful job with the food in the Club lounge. So nice to hear you had a good experience in the lounge too.

So glad to hear you enjoyed a Bay view on your stay there. It is a very pretty view. Great start to the day when you open the curtains in the morning.

Thank you for your kind words and for reading along on the report.

 

[Robo56]

Tuesday, September 12th continued



I hope that anyone that is going to HHN will find the information on the HHN merch helpful.

I had eluded to the fact that Universal has really exploded with HHN merchandise the last few years and this year was no exception.

Not all the HHN merchandise can be found in one place. The large Universal Store in CityWalk has a large selection. The Universal Legacy Store has a nice selection of HHN merchandise as well as Universal Monsters merch.

The other areas were you find HHN merch is at IOA large Trading Post Store, The Large Universal Store in US, The Five & Dime, The Tribute Store and Kiosks in US and Citywalk.

The only place I saw Dueling Dragons shirts and the Dueling Dragon AP pin was the Tribute Store.

There was plenty of Lil Boo merchandise again this year. All these photos were from merchandise in the big Universal Store in CityWalk.


This 3D wall art was very pretty in person.


The picture frames were nice too.




The Lil Boo backpacks were very nice and good quality made. There was a Raven change purse that was attached to the backpack with a chain and it fit into the little pocket that was situated behind Lil Boo. I did buy 3 of these for family who wanted them.

The Lil Boo backpack and T-shirt had a vintage Halloween design.




This Lil Boo hair bow did light up.


This is the back of the Lil Boo shirt


This is the front


I had looked at all the shirts they had at HHN and I sent photos to my family at home and let them decide which shirts they want. I did get two of the Lil Boo shirts. They are soft and nice quality made shirts.