Harry Potter Trip Report: August 13-16, 2010

[Hermione_12]

Pre-Trip Info:

Our family consists of Mom, Dad, my brother (16 at the time), and me (20 at the time). I was taking summer classes at the time so we were lucky to be able to squeeze this trip into everyone's schedule. We planned this trip at the last minute, like a month before we went, so I didn't have as much time to plan but I managed to learn a lot from this forum! So I'm going to try and pay it forward with this trip report albeit is a little late, but better late than never right? We stayed at the Royal Pacific and loved it. It was extremely hot when we were done there which made our trip a little miserable for us Northerners .

There are going to be tons of pictures in the following posts, they are all underlined for your viewing pleasure!! Hope you all enjoy this trip report!

 

[Hermione_12]

Friday, August 13

The Flight

Today was the day… it was finally time to go to Hogwarts! I was beyond excited. We woke up at… 4:00 in the morning! What were we thinking with having such an early flight! We left for the airport at 4:30, parked in the shuttle lot, and were quickly whisked away by the shuttle! Our check in was easy even with having to deal with the hassle of getting a refund on an extra bag that we decided not to use at the last minute. Security of course stopped my bag, this is the last time I volunteer to put all the shower stuff in my bag! But the rest of security was a breeze.

We were on our plane at 5:30 and were more than ready to leave. Mom and Dad sat together diagonally across the aisle because of the gully and my brother and I sat together. We left Columbus on time at 6:00, had an uneventful flight , and landed in Atlanta around 7:30. Our next flight was at 8:55 so we had enough time to grab some Nathan's Hot Dogs, which we later decided was a very bad choice for our stomachs . Time went by quickly and soon we were on our next flight and headed to Orlando. View from my window. We landed around 10:30 and after a little difficulty of figuring out how the trams worked we finally found the exit. We took our Mears shuttle to the Royal Pacific and arrived by 11:30.

 

[Hermione_12]

Friday, August 13 ctd.
Royal Pacific:

Check-in would have been easier if another family did not have the exact same last name as ours, but it was cleared up quickly. Our room was ready for us, so we were relieved with that fiasco behind us. We went over to the kiosk to print off our park tickets and then headed up to unpack our luggage.

After this we headed down to the Islands Dining Room and had lunch (decorations). Mom and Dad split a sandwich and my brother and I split a Cuban with some fries. They ended up taking our coupon for $10 off, saying they hadn't seen one before. While Mom and Dad were paying for it I ran back to the room to put our water bottles back and get my camera. When I came back we were ready to head over to Universal Studios to check it out.

 

[Hermione_12]

Friday, August 13 ctd.
The Fun Begins: Universal Studios

When we got to US, we went on Twister, which was a favorite movie for all of us and it was awesome. Afterwards, Dad, my brother, and I went on the Revenge of the Mummy. The wait time was pretty long but we used our room keys and got through the express line quickly. It was a dark ride and it kind of freaked me out because I didn't know what was coming up. There was fire and all sorts of neat effects. The picture of us all was the best, you just can't beat the ride photos.

When we were done we went back out and got Mom and visited New York. Then we all headed over to Disaster. I was thinking it was going to be a ride, but it was a show, so I thought it was a bit boring. I am glad we didn't have to wait too long to "ride" it, because I don't think it would have been worth it.

Then we wandered over to Amity Village to check it out. We really didn't feel like waiting around there because it was a bit crowded and it was pretty hot, so we went over to cool off in Starbucks. A word to the wise, they do not take Starbucks gift cards at that location. We went back out into the sweltering heat and looked around at the scenery. We walked through Lucy: A Tribute 1, 2 and looked through the gift shop. We then headed back to our room to cool off.

 

[Hermione_12]

Friday, August 13 ctd.
Supper Time:

We cooled off in our room for a little and as it got closer to supper it looked like there was a storm a comin'. So we checked the news and sure enough there was one about 20 min. away, so I decided we should book it over to CityWalk and find a place to eat while the storm passes.

We went over to the Hard Rock Café, 2, 3 and ate there. Luckily we got in right before it started to pour!

Yet again I decided to split a meal with my brother and my parents each got a hamburger and split them because they could not decide on which one was going to be better. I took some pictures in the Elvis room while we were waiting for our food. All the food was delicious!

We went down to the gift shop and looked around and decided if we were going to get anything we would come back after we were done at the park so we wouldn't have to lug unnecessary bags with us.

 

[Hermione_12]

Friday, August 13 ctd.
Islands of Adventure: First Glimpse at WWoHP!

We headed over to Islands of Adventure and it seemed that the rain and the time were driving people out. There were more people leaving than there were entering! We proceeded through the entrance and went through Seuss Landing, which was really neat looking! Dad took my camera to get some pictures for us 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

We crossed the bridge and passed by Mythos, 2 heading straight back to Harry Potter! I can honestly say that the attention to detail was amazing! It was everything I had imagined when I had first read the books! It was somewhat crowded, this was around 6:30 when we were there.

My brother and I got our pictures with the Conductor at the Hogwarts Express, of course since Dad took only one picture we both looked like goofs since we weren't paying attention. I got some more pictures of everything I could possibly take pictures of: luggage, Butterbeer cart, window displays 1, 2, 3. I went ahead and got one of my items from my to-buy-list, a pygmy puff (notice the cages are full, by the time we left there weren't any more anywhere), whom I named Willow. And of course I chose to do the naming ceremony, you just can't buy a pygmy puff and not officially name it!

Got some pictures of Hogwarts: 1, 2, 3. Then my brother and I rode Flight of the Hippogriff. Pictures from the queue line: scarecrow, Hagrid's Hut. It was a neat little rollercoaster.

After FotH we were on time to see the Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs perform. Unfortunately it started to rain and they cancelled their performance. So we headed to the Three Broomsticks to see what it was like inside (I had trouble getting a clear picture). We ended up getting four frozen Butterbeers in the souvenir cups. The Butterbeer was so good, it was going to be a main staple for my trip!

We mainly had just wanted to get a feel for how everything was laid out and get my pygmy puff. After we were done looking around we headed back the Hard Rock Café's gift shop to get my shirt and some other souvenirs. We headed back to the room and relaxed before we went to bed. We had to rest up for our early entry the next morning!

Next up: WWoHP Early Entry!

 

[Hermione_12]

Saturday, August 14
Early Entry!!

So today was going to be our first full day at Universal! My brother and I woke up at 6:00 to get ready for Harry Potter. We left our parents in the room and were first in line at Islands of Adventure by 7:00. They opened early at 7:30 and then it was a mad dash to the Wizarding World!

We headed straight for Ollivander's, and somehow managed to beat everyone and were first in line. We went in and watched the show, which was pretty cool but in my opinion was not worth waiting over 15 min. We then proceeded to the Owl Post 1, 2 to buy our wands, I had decided ahead of time which one I was going to get, but my brother wanted to look around at all the different wands. I got Hermione's wand and my brother got the Rowan wand.

Afterwards we were able to look around at Dervish and Banges 1, 2, 3 without having to worry about being rushed to do anything. The line for Ollivander's was so long when we came out and that was only 20 min. after the early entry.

We got some more pictures of the castle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Then we checked how long the line for the Forbidden Journey was. It was a 30 min. posted wait time at around 8:00. We got in line at 8:12 and were on the ride by 8:36.

My brother didn't want to ride, so I drug him along to hold the bags. I told him he wouldn't want to miss looking at the queue. It was amazing! I got a ton of pictures of the queue: entering the line, the Mirror of Erised, extendable queue line, the greenhouse, screaming mandrakes, about to enter, architect of Hogwarts, to Dumbledore's office, the portrait room, inside Dumbledore's office, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom 1, 2, Gryffindor Common Room 1, 2, 3, the Sorting Hat.

I was hoping the ride wouldn't make me sick, because I kept seeing the motion sickness warning signs and I was getting kind of nervous. I finally got to the front of the line and the ride was so much fun! It was a little sickening at first, but as long as you imagine yourself as being a part of the ride you will be perfectly fine.

I got off the ride and met back up with my brother, we then proceeded straight into Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods. We perused the shelves for a bit and headed out to the rest of the shops.

Our next stop was Honeydukes, where we stocked up on our candy supplies. I bought some Pumpkin Juice, a sugar quill, a glass jar of horehound candy (so I could have something with the Honeydukes' label on it), an acid pop, and a cauldron cake (for us all to split). We then looked around at all the stuff in Zonkos.

After this we decided it would be a good idea to head back to the room and see what our parents where wanting to go and see. We tried to take a boat, but the boat was taking forever! We decided to walk back but we actually ended up beating any boats back to the hotel.

Next up: Lunch at Mythos and Universal Studios

 

[Hermione_12]

Saturday, August 14 ctd.
Lunch at Mythos

When we got back to the room, our parents were up and ready to go. The Pumpkin Juice had an interesting flavor, I wouldn't buy it again.

We then left the room and headed over to IOA. We decided it was time for lunch and went over to Mythos. It was 11:00 and they wouldn't be open until 11:30 so we put our names on the list and I asked if I could get some pictures inside before they opened: 1, 2, 3, 4.

I got a BBQ chicken wrap that had mashed potatoes, lettuce, and cheese in it with some fries. Mom got some sort of chicken wrap with fries. And I didn't get pictures of what Dad and my brother got because it disappeared too quick.

We then went back to the hotel to relax a little bit mainly because it was getting too hot for us. We walked back, and you have to be careful not to step on any of the little lizards running across the path!

We took my laptop down to the lobby to check our cameras back at home to see what the dog was up to. We then had dessert, the cauldron cake! It kind of reminded me of a Hostess cupcake, but it was pretty good and I would get it again.

After a while, we decided it was time for supper and the unanimous decision was to head back over to the Hard Rock Café. And yet again our meal was excellent!

After we ate we headed over to US. This time we went to the right when we came in instead of going past Rip Ride Rockit . I gave my camera to Dad to take some pictures of everything and anything: 1, Schwab's Pharmacy, inside Schwab's, 2.

We rode E.T., which was a really cool ride. I then got pictures over by Fievel's play area, which was a movie I've liked since I was a kid : 1, 2. Then we walked past Simpson's, which we had no interest in riding.

Somehow we missed Men in Black completely and crossed over to Amity Village. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday so we had to get our iconic picture with the shark at Jaws. Then we proceeded to ride Jaws, using the Express Passes again. After Jaws we walked around and took pictures of the different buildings: 1, 2, 3, 4. We found the Back to the Future section and got pictures of the train and the DeLorean. Then we headed back to room.

Next up: Night Adventures in IOA!

 

[Hermione_12]

Saturday, August 14 ctd.
IOA at Night!

My brother wanted to go swimming so Mom went with him. Meanwhile, I was ready to get back over to the parks and ride some more rides! So we split our party and I went with Dad back to IOA.

We got to Islands around 8:30 and headed toward the Marvel Superhero Island section since we had yet to wander over this way. We got some pictures of the buildings, but were not interested in riding any of the rides over there, motion sickness concerns for me .

We decided to go check out Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls. We asked the TM how extreme the drop was and he told us it was a kid's ride and made it seem like the 75-foot drop wasn’t anything we couldn't handle! All I can say is… what a liar! The longest part of that line was walking through the queue. Once we got to the logs we were loaded and sent on our way. We were soaked by the time the ride was over. It was kind of a shock with the drop, I wouldn't consider it to be a kid's ride, but it was really exciting . The worst part was waiting to get out of our log. Since there weren't very many people riding it took forever to unload and the logs were very cramped and both Dad and I were starting to freak out, claustrophobia .

When we were finally unloaded from the log we were off to Jurassic Park! We then headed over to ride Jurassic Park River Adventure. The line for that wasn't long either, so we were loaded right away. We ended up being right in the front row too so I was excited about that! Then when the restraints came down I was kind of freaked out because I'm small and the restraint was no where close to touching me, but it turned out ok . The ride was awesome, riding around at first was just like in the movie and the dinosaurs looked pretty realistic at night. The drop soaked us again, but it didn't matter since we were already wet!

After this we walked over to the Wizarding World and decided to ride Forbidden Journey. I think the wait time was something like an hour or a little over an hour. We stopped by the lockers and put my camera and bag in one and got in line. We were off the ride and done with the locker under an hour! Pictures of different window displays around Hogsmede: 1, 2, 3.

We decided to each get another Butterbeer and head back to our room since it was close to closing time. Some pictures on the way back: Mythos, guardian statue, and Seuss Landing entrance. When we got back Mom and my brother were already in their beds.

Next up: Whole family experiences early entry and beating the midday heat!

 

[macraven]

enjoying reading about your great trip!

 

[Harry Potter]

Yeah I read the first 6 entries to this report when I was last on, but I come back and yet another 2 instalments have been posted. And all with great little details in which I love! Great pics too, even if I haven't looked at all of them because my pc hates photobucket.

I am surprised you were told by a TM that Ripsaw Falls was a kid's ride. I have found on my trip last year that the TMs at Ripsaw Falls are undoubtedly the most immature out of all TMs, and it seems they were trying to play a little prank on you there. Still, no harm done.

Now, you have inspired me to check out Jurassic Park River Adventure at night. I don't believe I ever rode it after dusk, despite being in the park until near 10pm on a couple of ocsassions.

Keep up the good report!

 

[Hermione_12]

Thanks macraven!

Harry Potter: I think you are right about the TM's at Ripsaw Falls lol! And riding Jurassic Park at night I think the darkness covers the imperfections on the dinosaurs so they look more realistic!

 

[Hermione_12]

Sunday, August 15
Early Entry with the Entire Family!

Today the whole family woke up at 6:00 to go to the Wizarding World! We left around the same time and got in line. There were more people there on Sunday than on Saturday, but it wasn't an unmanageable crowd. They opened early again, around 7:30 and we took the shortcut (thanks to this forum ) behind the Caro-Seuss-El and actually ended up beating a family who was running around it!

We headed straight for the Forbidden Journey. I convinced Mom and my brother to ride it at least once and they agreed. I had them go through the line and we took advantage of the Child Swap area. Mom and my brother rode first and then Dad and I rode. The ride kind of made Mom sick but she recovered quickly.

Since it was our last day we decided to take in as much of the scenery as was possible: Hogwarts, Hogsmeade 1 (awesome clouds that morning), Hogsmeade 2, Owl Post window display, Sickles Only sign on the machine in Honeydukes, Hogwarts Express, frozen water detail, another glimpse of the Wizarding World.

Then we headed back to our room because it was already starting to get hot for us. We ate lunch at the Islands Dining Room again. Mom and I split a pizza (it was pretty good) along with some chicken soup (it was not so great).

After lunch we hung out in the lobby and then decided it was best to swim during the peak hours to avoid the heat. So we headed up to our room to change into our swim suits and went back down to the pool. We had a good time swimming. They had a game of volleyball going in the pool that we all had a blast participating in. After we were done swimming we headed back up to the room to shower and change. By this time we were starving, so we ordered some pizza from a local pizza joint which was recommended to us by one of the staff members. We ordered from Flipper's Pizza which was cheap, a good size for the four of us, and it was good!

A Word of Caution: Do not order from the pizza joint fliers that are slid under the door! The concierge told us that its usually a scam and they will take your credit card number and bring no pizza .

Next up: Last Time in the Parks

 

[Hermione_12]

Sunday, August 15 ctd.
Last Time at the Parks

After we finished eating we headed over to Islands for one last time. We walked around Super Hero Islands taking pictures. Pictures from Toon Lagoon: 1, 2, Popeye, Ripsaw Falls 1, Ripsaw Falls 2. And then over to Jurassic Park to get the pictures of the dinosaurs and check out the gift shop: electric fence, splash zone 1 (River Adventure), splash zone 2, dinosaur.

Then it was back to Harry Potter for one last time. I got some more pictures of everything.
Dervish and Banges: 1, 2, 3.
Owl Post 1, 2.

Then we headed into the Three Broomsticks to see if I could get some better pictures, which didn't happen because it was too dark inside. We went back outside and decided to check out the stores again. We then decided it was time for our last Butterbeer of this trip. After we got the Butterbeers it started to rain and we were lucky to find a seat under the owlery: 1, 2, 3, 4. So we enjoyed our Butterbeers soaking up the environment.

It didn't seem that the rain was going to let up any so we went over to Honeydukes to get some peppermint toads for my aunt who was watching our dog. Stopped into Zonko's to peruse the shelves one last time. Pictures: extendable ears, notice there are no more pygmy puffs in the cages or in the rest of the park.

Then it was back out into the rain. We went over to Suess Landing where we rode High in the Sky Suess Trolley Train Ride since it was a covered train and there was no line! Mom and my brother had a good time hootin' and hollerin' like it was the best ride in the history of amusement parks! It was funny because people starting cheering back at them. After this we headed towards the park exit and stopped by Port of Entry for some last minute souvenir ideas. It was now time to leave the park. We then headed back to the room to pack our bags and hit the hay.

 

[Hermione_12]

Monday, August 16
Final Morning and Trip Back Home

This was our last day in Florida. We all woke up at 7:00 and got ready. We finalized our packing and went down for breakfast at the Orchid Lounge. The food was typical breakfast foods, but the prices were exorbitant for what we got. We hung out in the lobby eating our breakfast and people watched while waiting to leave.

After breakfast we went back upstairs and got everything and went down and checked out of the hotel. We waited in the lobby until it was time to look for our shuttle. We then took the shuttle back to the airport, after stopping at some other random hotels in the area. I would not recommend taking the Mears shuttle due to the fact that there is a high chance of stopping at other hotels along the way, which is time consuming and we were not aware of this prior to booking with them.

We arrived at the airport and we were dropped off right at the Delta counter. They took our luggage and gave us our boarding passes. We headed into the airport and along the way found where all the gift shops were. My brother decided that he wanted a Slytherin lanyard, so we went to the gift shop keeping our fingers crossed that they would have one and thankfully they did. We went through security, the line wasn't too long and I discovered that the line in the bathroom was longer so when I came out of the bathroom my family was waiting for me on the other side.

We then proceeded to our gate and waited for our plane. I was starving so I grabbed a Lunchable, which surprisingly looked better than the fruit or the sandwiches all of which were droopy, nasty looking, and overpriced . The Lunchable did not last me very long at all. Then it was time to board and time to bid adieu to Florida. After another uneventful flight, which is always a good thing, we landed in Memphis and only had a short time before our next flight.

Since we had changed time zones Dad and my brother, they thought they had an hour to get to the gate, but Mom and I kept rushing them to our gate. We rushed across the airport and made it to our gate and they knew exactly who we were, which I knew was a bad sign. They told us that if a business man had not volunteered to give up his seat and take the next flight one of us would have had to stay behind in Memphis! So, needless to say we were all relieved that that did not have to happen. On this flight we did not have seats together. Mom and Dad had seats together but I had an aisle seat in the middle of the plane and my brother was in the front of the plane. It was a good thing I brought my laptop because I didn't have anyone I knew near me to talk to. The one thing I learned from this was that codeshare flights are not good lol. We landed in Columbus right on time and tracked down our luggage. We boarded our shuttle to the parking lot and were on our way home.

Well, that's the end of my trip report. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it and that I was able to pass along some helpful hints for your vacation! We are going back again in June so I will be posting another trip report, which will be done in a more timely manner lol.

 

[vang.nguyen1983]

Thank you.

I have gone through my childhood with Harry Potter books. Now I have all of the books and I'm collecting movie DVDs. My room's wall is full of his pictures. I love Daniel Radcliffe. Hope he'll be successful in Broadway.

 

[Harry Potter]

Great effort writing all this out! Nice to read your full experience.

I did wonder what you meant about those flyers from the pizza joint?

How do people access your hotel room doors? Do they hang in CityWalk and get resort guests to do it for them, for a cash-in-hand sum? I don't see how anyone can walk around RPR unless they are a paying guest. I guess it is possible, because as far as I remember, there is no security check point apart from the one near Margaritaville (and they never seem to stop anyone).

Glad you liked Forbidden Journey. And how would you rate the RPR pool? A lot of people say it's the worst of all the UOR pools, but is the water deep?

 

[SimonCharles]

I was lucky enough to visit Wizarding World for a private event, so the park was cleared out. I couldn't image it filled with people.

Interesting fact: from the start of the line of Dueling Dragons, it takes 5min walking briskly to actually reach the ride platform. Can't imagine how long that line is filled with people.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I spent an hour in the heat to get into Olivander's.I wish someone would have told me that if you have to wait more than 15 minutes, skip it. Not worth it.

 

[Hermione_12]

I'm glad you all liked the trip report!!!

Harry Potter:
The RPR doesn't monitor who's coming in and who's leaving so I guess from what the staff member was saying that they walk in like a normal guest and go through slipping them under the doors. But, I don't know exactly how it is done.
I loved the pool! I don't see how anyone would think it is the worst. I haven't been to any of the others, but when we were there it was clean and very nice. I would say that at the deepest it could have been probably no more than 4 ft.

SimonCharles:
I can't imagine what it would be like to be there during a private event. It must have been awesome though!

MaleficentRN:
I completely agree. I am so glad I read about going to Ollivander's in the morning because it really helped out. Too bad you didn't see it ahead of time, I don't like staying in the heat for long periods of time .