Quick Trip Report

[darnheather]

Day 1/3 TL/DR eat/drink all the butter beer you can.

My girls and I left on a Monday in February and drove down to Orlando, spent three days at the parks, and drove home on Friday. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Orlando and found it to be clean, quiet, and pleasant enough. The shuttle was a bit problematic as it only ran once to the park and once back each day. This might have been due to the season so certainly check. Lyft was only $8 one way including tip and well worth it the few times we used it. Breakfast was decent if standard. We aren't big breakfast people anyway so the free breakfast typically suffices for us.

It was several hours later than I'd of liked when we arrived in Orlando so I grabbed some Chinese from Panda Express to eat in our room. The receptionist was nice and I liked that our room was on the fourth floor.

Tuesday was my youngest daughter's 11th birthday so I wanted to give her the Harry Potter experience. We used Lyft to the park, tried to pick up a birthday button but they were out so they gave us some fast passes instead. After entering and getting some photos we went straight to the Leaky Cauldron for breakfast. We shared one English Breakfast platter, a Leek and Egg pastry platter, a hot butter beer, and a pumpkin juice. Everything was good but the big favorite was the leek and egg pastry. Hot butter beer ended up being my oldest's favorite form. Next we went to Ollivanders and Izzy got picked to have her wand choose her! I was crying it was so perfect. Did Gingrott's and looked at all the shops. Ate butter beer ice cream while watching the Three Brothers puppet show. Izzy chose a pygmy puff as her animal.

Took the Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade and it was perfect. I cried again! In Hogsmeade we rode the Forbidden Journey and used our fast passes for the Hippogriff coaster. After that we had a frozen butter beer which turned out to be my favorite and I road the dueling dragons coaster while my girls waited at the post office. Got the girls a late lunch of a chicken kabob in the area just outside Hogsmeade and then walked around IoA riding a few things. Izzy loved Seuss Landing. My oldest liked the Marvel stuff.

We waited for the hotel bus to get back and then drove to TooJay's for dinner. The latkes were fabulous. The pastrami egg rolls were ok. I was too tired to even try my chicken sandwich but the fries were good. Izzy picked out a chocolate cake with a layer of cheesecake and I bought a whole one for her birthday. We were so tired that after showers we were asleep by 1030.

 

[darnheather]

Day 2/3 TL/DR second happiest birthday of my life.

So nice to wake up without an alarm or animals!

Breakfast in the hotel at a leisurely pace. Took the hotel shuttle to parks. Got very upset that I didn't think to check on Starbucks but of course they didn't accept my birthday free drink even though they are not technically inside the park. Not like me to not do my research.

We started the day at IoA were I rode The Hulk which was so much fun. The girls rode Storm while waiting for me and then I rode it with them. Next we had fun at the Jurassic Park raptor encounter and discover center. Lunch was next at The Three Broomsticks were again I cried realizing a long time birthday dream. Izzy had Leek and Potato soup with a side of roasted potatoes. My older daughter, D, and I shared a platter of fish and chips (fantastic) and another platter of Cornish Pasties (good). We shared a dessert of potted butter beer which was heavenly. Something I certainly hope to make at home. The girls played with the interactive wand while I relaxed and took in the atmosphere. Crowds were far higher today which took me off guard. Still not horrible though. We bought butter fudge and a few other things from the sweet shop and took the train back to London. Absolutely do the train both ways.

In Diagon Alley the girls again played with the wand while I sat on the steps of Flourish and Blotts still kind of in disbelief that I got to spend my birthday in the world of Harry Potter. It was everything to me. It was therefore disappointing that there seem to be NO Universal photographers in the HP areas. I really had to hunt for them outside the area too. I'm glad I got a photopass as the ride photos are fun but you really have to ask them to take more than one photo to get your money's worth. Madam Malkins is incredible as are all the shops.

Next we went and did some rides in the rest of the park including Men in Black and Twirl and Hurl. Minon Mayhem was fun but Shrek 4-D was groan worthy for me but the girls loved it. It was still only about 4pm so we got Lyft back to the hotel. I went out and got my Starbucks drink and we ate leftovers from the previous two days for dinner as I was just too tired to go back out and get anything. Still it was an almost perfect day.

 

[darnheather]

Day 3/3 TL/DR being tired and large crowds are not a good mix.

We again slept in and had a leisurely start but were already tired when we got to the park. The crowds this day were twice what they were on Tuesday. I heard someone mention President's day which I guess people were getting an early start on. It was thankfully the coolest day we were there which helped mitigate the crowds. We walked slowly and watched the Minion Parade on the way to Diagon Alley. We had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron sharing the Ploughman's Platter (probably my favorite thing we ate all week), the Guinness Stew (really gross, like Dinty Moore), and Bangers and Mash (good). For dessert we had sticky toffee pudding which I liked as it's quite like a bread pudding. The girls could take it or leave it. To drink we had fizzy pumpkin juice and the fishy green ale (I really liked this too). The girls played with their wand again while I re-rode Gringotts. Izzy got upset because I was gone so long and D couldn't keep her from getting scared so no more separate rides after that.

Honestly we were all in a pretty bad mood after that and probably should have just quit but I was too determined to "get our money's worth". Ug. We took the train over which was an hour's wait this time! Once we got over D announced what she wanted her souvenir to be (a set of posters) and we learned they were only available back in Diagon Alley. We went to Seussland and rode everything again some things twice. Then back on the train only to learn the posters D wanted cost $350!!! which was not happening. So she chose some Quiditch pins instead. We used our fast passes to ride Minion Mayhem again, picked up the two free prints that come with the photopass and left before the Mardi Gras parade started. Used the bus back as it was late. We didn't get nearly as much done this day due to crowds and general tiredness.

Dinner was at Bubbalou's BBQ. We shared shredded pork, french fries, onion rings, fried gator, fried okra, and probably something else I'm forgetting. It was fantastic. Loved the country atmosphere. My GPS got us totally lost on the way back and took us by the airport. We ate more cake for dessert and packed the car for home. Sad to go but exhausted.

 

[agavegirl1]

Thank you so much for the mini trip report. It seems like your 11yo had a great Birthday celebration. I have heard about that BBQ place. Would it be worth a trip via Uber from an onsite Universal Hotel?

 

[pcstang]

Thank you so much for the mini trip report. It seems like your 11yo had a great Birthday celebration. I have heard about that BBQ place. Would it be worth a trip via Uber from an onsite Universal Hotel?

Nice report. Sounds like you had a good time.
@agavegirl1 Yes! Go to bubbalous. It's maybe 5 minutes away so a cheap uber over and back.

 

[darnheather]

Thank you so much for the mini trip report. It seems like your 11yo had a great Birthday celebration. I have heard about that BBQ place. Would it be worth a trip via Uber from an onsite Universal Hotel?

YES! We used the leftovers the next day on nachos and OMG so good.

 

[angryduck71]

Awwwww! I loved how moved you were.

 

[schumigirl]

Nice trip report........lovely to read what a wonderful time you had at Universal! And glad you enjoyed Bubbalous......it's a real gem of a place!

Agavegirl......you have to go! It's only a few minutes away from Universal........gorgeous food!