Day 13 - Universal Studios Florida

We started with a real breakfast because yesterday's theme park meals left me in want.

Real breakfast!

After everyone enjoyed waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage we started day two.

It was our second and final day at Universal Studios, but this time in the other side of the park.  Yesterday was blistering hot with 95 degree temperatures and 85% humidity.  It was pretty draining, so we started out with some indoor activities today to try and wait for the afternoon rains to cool everything down.

Here we go!

We found a soda fountain in Hollywood.

Here we are in Los Angeles.

Mom and her sexy ride.

This fellow walked around threatening to kill us.  Must be having a bad day.

This one is for Corey.

I think this was from the New York area.

Mom with Lucy.

Like my hat?

Hollywood stars.

Unexpectedly, probably the best show we saw.

Animal show with all sorts of trained animals.

After a number of shows and indoor exhibits, we went to lunch which also involved the indoors.

Mom and the world's largest salad.

Salmon, mashed potatoes, and a tomato.

Veggie burger.

Mom liked the salad.  I was excited to get fish that was properly cooked.  Erin wasn't as pleased with hers.  (But what do you expect at a theme park?)  At lease we had live Irish music.

When we left lunch, it poured rain.  We took refuge under an awning and ate Dippin' Dots.

Erin fights me for the last bite.

Then it was time to go to Diagon Alley.  Here comes Harry Potter part two!

Talking head.

Dragon that breathes fire.  (Yes, real fire!)

Shopping for wizard things.

The train station.

The horde.

Triple-decker bus.

Leaky cauldron.

One wing of the area.

Our pictures don't do it justice at all.  The best area was too dark for pictures, although Mom did create a video of one of the windows.

It was so crowded that we decided to come back later.

The Simpson's ride gave Erin motion sickness.

Mom waited for us at Kwik-e-mart.

She found a friend.

OK, she found many friends.

The Simpson's world is very detailed.

Here's Krusty.

They even have a Mexican option.

Anyone know Wakita?

It's where Twister was filmed.

We were put inside a tornado simulator which was actually done pretty well.  Perhaps you shouldn't take small children.

Not pictured were some of the other events we did including Shrek 4D, Terminator, Men-in-Black, and most other attractions in the park.  Many of these force you to store your phone in a locker or with someone else, so we don't have pictures of everything.

We do have a picture of the Blues Brothers.

Eventually we headed back to Harry Potter world.  The wait time on the main ride was down from 210 minutes to 120 minutes, so it was time to get in line.  It was the longest I have ever waited for a ride, but we had to do it to complete the experience.

Nice chandelier they have in this bank.

A few goblins watching us while they work.

The head goblin on his perch.

The dragon against the sunset.

Now a few from Erin's phone.  (Merging three sets of photos every night is harder than you think!)

Where's Scooby-doo?

If only we could figure out how to start it, we could see everything in a day!

One of many talking and moving pictures.

One of the Harry Potter stores.

Another one or two.

And another.  (There were probably 25 or so.)

After we finished the new Harry Potter ride, it was time to go.

Bye Harry Potter World!

Everyone had a great time.  The first day was a bit hot for my liking, but it was still very fun to go.  While the two parks are still very much theme parks, they're definitely a notch above the competition.  Part of that is the themes themselves which other parks can't replicate.  However, it's also the execution of it all.  The park is spotless everywhere, all the time.  I can't say the same for Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, or Schlitterbahn.  The bathrooms are clean.  (Well, for toilets open to the general public.)  The parking is excellent too.

Perhaps the biggest differentiated element is the queue system for new rides.  Universal Studios tries to make the wait part of the experience.  Most of the time you are watching a movie or something is interacting with you so the wait doesn't feel nearly as long as it really is.  Compare that to the usual water park where you're carrying some sort of intertube in the hot sun and this place really shines.

Even at $80/day, we all felt it was completely worth it.  You get an entire day of fun and the new Harry Potter section is really a work of art.  There are characters everywhere and the detail is incredible.  It's like being on a movie set.  It's a bit crowded, but that's really a testament to its success.  (Also, it's been open to the public for less than a week, so perhaps it will thin out soon.)

After we left, I found a Mexican place close by that was still open.  None of us took pictures, but we all agreed it was good.  It stood up to DFW Tex-Mex.  Great way to end the night after Erin's sad veggie burger!