"I Show You How To Make..." (A December Trip Report)

[princessbride6205]

Fun trip report so far. Great details about HP. I'm not sure when I'll convince DH to go over there on a trip, maybe a solo trip for me?

Anyway, I stopped by your TR specifically because I love the title! We always watch Miyuki and enjoy her presentation. Last time my daughter asked her to make a seagull, but she didn't know that word. it was funny with people in the audience trying to explain, but in the end I think she made a parrot.

 

[Monknmom]

I want our next family trip to be to Universal and IOA! They look really cool, but I thought that Damien might be too young for that right now. I like that idea of the travel shirt! I love all of the detailed pictures! Looks really nice! I love the details and I think that in a different way they bring the magic-- at least from what I see of your pictures! Okay I am all caught up now and stuck at another cliffhanger just like the rest of them!

 

[momabaarjo]

Your picture right after the scoring is the secret entrance into Dumbledore's Office according to Ab.

 

[swwake]

So what DID the girls and Joann think of this ride and what WERE your and Chris' second impressions of the ride???

Haha - coming up!

OMG! I am not sure what happened. I WAS subscribed!!! Well, now that that is fixed... I am caught up...

So... Miyuki... OMG! I noticed the same thing. She repeats and it is so cute. "very nice" was a common phrase we heard the ONE time we got to see her. (not on this last trip)


Sorry that the girls would have been too young for Rising Start by the end of the night.


Portofino looked BEAUTIFUL!!!

I am glad your family went along with getting up for RD. I think that it is hard for those who do not like to be on a schedule. So

FJ looks amazing. Someday I might have to go back to US/IOA... but to be honest, I read the sign and FJ might be WAY too intense for me.

I've been missing you here! Glad you figured it out. FJ isn't really very intense as a ride (the movements). It's more intense with the dark effects and scary stuff. Kinda like a little scarier HM.

I showed Allison your photos on here and now she's begging to go to Harry Potter land! Can't wait to hear more deets!

Y'all should go! Maybe next time.

Great Photos! It was our first time in HP world so we did not know what to expect. I'll talk more about it in my TR but I remember the queue being really confusing at first and almost wishing there had been a bit of a wait because I feel like we missed so much going through the castle. I didn't even know that it snowed!! Wish we had been able to see that.

I can't wait to compare notes. Yes, it was confusing at the beginning. And really tight right when you enter the castle. Stinks that you missed the snow. It was cool.

Your photos and description make me curious to check out HP world one day, probably after they open one up in CA so not everyone goes to the one in FL.

I think everyone should go at least once, even if they're not HP fans.

 

[swwake]

Fun trip report so far. Great details about HP. I'm not sure when I'll convince DH to go over there on a trip, maybe a solo trip for me?

Anyway, I stopped by your TR specifically because I love the title! We always watch Miyuki and enjoy her presentation. Last time my daughter asked her to make a seagull, but she didn't know that word. it was funny with people in the audience trying to explain, but in the end I think she made a parrot.

and thanks for joining! HP is totally worth a solo trip, but I bet your DH would love it too. I'm glad my TR title caught your eye. I don't think most people "get it". It really became the theme of our trip

I want our next family trip to be to Universal and IOA! They look really cool, but I thought that Damien might be too young for that right now. I like that idea of the travel shirt! I love all of the detailed pictures! Looks really nice! I love the details and I think that in a different way they bring the magic-- at least from what I see of your pictures! Okay I am all caught up now and stuck at another cliffhanger just like the rest of them!

As long as he's tall enough for FJ, he's not too young for it. If he likes HP, he would LOVE Olivanders!

Your picture right after the scoring is the secret entrance into Dumbledore's Office according to Ab.

Aha! Well, that's good to know. I had no idea!

 

[swwake]

Day 2, Part 3 (December 17)

You can read a good description of the ride itself here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Forbidden_Journey

It goes pretty quickly, and there is a lot to take in. The mechanism is basically a series of robotic arms that move along a track. Each arm has a car that holds four people, moves independently and can move in many directions – up, down, side to side, a little tremble here or there. This particular ride does not go upside-down, although I think the mechanism would allow it if programmed that way.

The girls’ reaction to the ride was “it was cool.” Not “it was SO cool.” Not “I can’t wait to do it again.” Just “it was cool.” Almost like “it was cool, now let’s move on.” I had thought that we would ride FJ at least twice while we were there, but we never got back to it. For that reason, I’m sad that we missed so much of the queue and pre-show. But that’s ok. Plenty more fun to be had.

Chris thought it was fun, but kinda had a “been there/done that” attitude. I didn’t remember the ride being so dark, in the sense of scary. Lots of darkness, wind, giant spiders and dementors (like grim reapers). They might consider warning families with small children, although I didn’t see any kids crying or scared afterward.

It is fun at the part where you’re flying through and past Hogwarts on the broomstick, over the fields, through canyons and into the Quiddich ring.

Katie, Haley and Joann shopped in the store at the end of the ride, while I gathered our belongings from the locker. We met outside and decided to head back to Ollivander’s, since it was now after 8:30 and they would be open.

We got in line, while Chris went exploring WWOHP (read: hit the men’s room). Some photos while we were in line:

Smoke from a chimney

We waited through two shows (my best guess is that these are about 12 minutes long). They take 30 people at a time. The Team Member (I think that’s what they call them at US, rather than Cast Members) at the front of the line had a counter in her hand that she clicked, and we were stopped right at the front of the line.

We struck up a conversation with her, and watched as she had to repeat a description of this attraction over and over to person after person who approached her asking why there is a line to get into a store. She had a lot of patience.

We talked about lots of things with her, Haley’s hair, crowds at WWoHP, what she does when she’s not working, etc. While we were chatting, Chris walked up and talked with all of us. He didn’t hop in line with us, because none of us thought that would be appropriate (though we saw PLENTY of people doing this throughout our trip).

Now, we didn’t do Ollivander’s in 2010, but we knew the premise. It is the wand shop, where every Hogwarts student goes to purchase his/her requisite wand for the school year. And, in case you don’t know Harry Potter, a student does not choose his/her wand. The wand chooses the student.

So, for each “show”, the Team Members usually select one person from the audience, usually a child, and he approaches the shopkeeper to have his wand select him. Such a cool concept. And excellent marketing on the part of Universal, I might say. Because of course, after you are chosen by a wand, you feel compelled to purchase it. And these things aren’t cheap. They are around $30 each!

Back to the front door. It was our turn now. The door opened, and the inside TM talked to the TM who has been chatting with us for 12 minutes. They whispered something in code, and we were allowed inside.

Once inside, they positioned our family on the far left side, facing the shopkeeper. Katie somehow got behind Chris and me, so we told her to step forward so she’d be able to see the “show”. Now she and Haley were standing side by side. Not front and center in the room, but over to the side. About 25 people filed in behind us and filled the room.

The door closed, and the shopkeeper welcomed us in a mysterious, gravelly voice with a British accent. He said a few words, then paused for a moment. He looked slowly around the room, and finally pointed at Katie and Haley with two fingers saying “you two fine ladies, please step forward.”

 

[momabaarjo]

I know the feeling that you must have felt right about now in Olivander's! You will have to read my TR for our report on FJ! You have to buy the wand....

 

[mike the canuck]

Cool pics! Following along

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Ohhh I can't wait to hear how the wand ceremony went!!!

 

[annmarieda]

Oh.. I thought something might be happening when you said they "normally pull a child"

 

[shocky5]

Hooray! The girls surely got picked to have their wands "choose them." Just a guess.... trying to avoid that cliff hanger you left us with.

I'm glad the girls thought the ride was 'cool.'

 

[Native NYer]

Hi Susan!
I need to catch up here.
And I definitely need to see Mr. Potter this summer.

 

[swwake]

I know the feeling that you must have felt right about now in Olivander's! You will have to read my TR for our report on FJ! You have to buy the wand....

I am interested in your take on FJ.

Cool pics! Following along

Thanks so much for joining in here!

Ohhh I can't wait to hear how the wand ceremony went!!!

Coming right up!

Oh.. I thought something might be happening when you said they "normally pull a child"

You're very intuitive, Ann!

Hooray! The girls surely got picked to have their wands "choose them." Just a guess.... trying to avoid that cliff hanger you left us with.

I'm glad the girls thought the ride was 'cool.'

We shall see whether they got picked very soon!

Hi Susan!
I need to catch up here.
And I definitely need to see Mr. Potter this summer.

I'm honored to have you following along Jen! Need a little George/Bret influence over here...

 

[swwake]

Day 2, Part 4 (December 17)

I am not sure how they select people for this show, but we suspect that, for us, it had something to do with the nice conversation we had with the TM at the front door, and that the code she spoke with the “inside” TM told him to select our girls.

So Katie and Haley approached the shopkeeper’s counter and listened carefully as he explained that he was happy to see them and that a wand would carefully select each of them.

He first found a wand way up high at the top of a ladder. He uttered some magical words…

And the box shook a little, moved in and out, and I think fell on the ground. Hmm, not the right wand.

On to another.

Something else strange happened here (I don’t remember what, because I was trying to take pictures in a very dark room). Needless to say, that also was not the right wand for our sweet wizard girls.

Finally, the shopkeeper handed his own wand to Katie and asked her to repeat “wingardium levioso”.

When she did, the box to which her wand was pointed moved a little, and the shopkeeper retrieved it, along with another for Haley. He explained that although each of these wands was made of different wood, they shared cores of the same dragon’s hair.

We were then ushered into the next room, which was the actual store where you can purchase a wand. Joann bought Haley’s wand immediately. Katie and I decided not to buy hers, because we weren’t sure what a 19-year-old would do with a $30 wand once we got home. But we met Chris outside the store, and when we told him the girls had been selected for the show, he insisted that Katie buy her wand. So we did go back and buy it. And I have to admit it makes a good souvenir. It is one-of-a-kind (sorta) and represents a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Next up: a very scary book and an evil Lord

 

[momabaarjo]

They both got picked...how cool is that?! I am glad that Chris insisted on buying the wand!

 

[FosterA]

How Fun!! I may just have to look into this Harry Potter thing a little more. Might just need to go! Of course I've never even read the books....tried but they didn't pull me in. I'm weird I guess.

anyway...Loving your TR so far!
p.s. I wonder if Haley would find if I emailed her or something because I really want to know how she gets that haircolor? I've been doing hair 22 years and have no idea how to get that red. My daughter Allison wants that color too!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I agree with Tammie. I'm glad Chris made y'all go get it. Never know if Katie has kids one day, one might turn out to be a HUGE HP fan. They would be over the moon to see what their mom got and how she got picked!

 

[annmarieda]

How very cool they both got picked!!! And.. like everyone else I too am glad that you went back for the wand. To buy a $30 wand just because... I don't think I would have.. but this was a special wand that was chosen in a special way.

 

[Monknmom]

I am so sorry that I am so behind on here!
Yeah I'm not sure how Damien would be with that he was very unpredictable about rides! I think that someone was a little tipsy though while building only that one chimney!
Oh my goodness what a good moment for them! I guess that 1/2 hour wait was worth it for them! I'm glad that she has that now, although your right-- what is she going to do with it, but if we thought that for everything we would come home with nothing! LOL I wish I thought like that for most of the sutff we bought!

Oh.. I thought something might be happening when you said they "normally pull a child"

I didn't even think of that when she typed it I thought that she was just explaining what happens in the show! You can't get anything past Ann!

 

[momabaarjo]