By: Kristal TinslerThe last time I visited Universal Studios, Orlando was 21 years ago, while my sister Laci, had never been! We had a free day before our cruise was to set sail so we decided to spend it at Islands of Adventure since we are both HUGE Harry Potter fans.It was beautiful out, the perfect weather for an all day adventure around a theme park.We were staying at a Disney Resort and were able to catch a Mears bus for a short drive to Universal City Walk.Even before we entered Islands of Adventure, we were in awe struck by the Universal City Walk area. We loved seeing the Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom eatery, and of course, the famous - Margaritaville! We walked through Universal City Walk to the entrance of Islands of Adventure, and we started taking pictures of everything possible as we quickly rushed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
There were no crowd issues in any stores, or walkways along the way; it was shockingly empty in the park. As we entered the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we were both amazed at how beautifully done this area was; it was literally like walking into the movie.
We walked around and came across Honeydukes Sweets, where you can buy some great wizard sweets like: Exploding Bon-Bons, Pumpkin Juice, and Chocolate frogs - just to name a few. From there, we HAD to go to the Owl Post, where you will find wall to wall wands.All of that shopping made us thirsty, so Laci and I headed over to grab a couple of frozen Butterbeers. It was the most delicious thing either of us has ever had! I can not even describe the flavors, it was just outstanding! Many guests describe the flavor of the delectable drink as butterscotch.After we got our Butterbeer, we got in line to ride Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey. I absolutely LOVED Hogwarts Castle; the inside was themed better than anything I have ever experienced. Eighty-five minutes later, we boarded the ride.
For the ride itself, I totally expected it to be a simple simulator ride. As I sat down on the “enchanted bench”, I knew immediately that was not the case! When the harness dropped down I knew I was going to be tipped upside down, which I do not particularly like. However, from what I experienced, the ride was truly amazing. Laci loved the ride, she said it was THE coolest ride she had ever been on, and if we had more time we should have gone again!From there, we went straight to Seuss landing, where things are much more my speed. :)We rode some rides and ate a bit of lunch before heading over to check out Marvel’s Superhero Island.
We really had an amazing day, just the two of us, which was not something that happened too often. We look forward to returning soon and spending more “sister time” together at the Universal Orlando resort.
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