Unfortunately, I did not receive my green-inked letter, and to my utter astonishment and very real disappointment, I have never met anyone who has. 

So when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened and I heard that Universal was planning on building Hogwarts, I decided I would have to settle for the amusement park experience of our favorite magical school.  A visit to the park is considerably shorter than seven years of Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and History of Magic, so I suppose that’s a plus. 

What I was not expecting was Hogwarts to be presented to the hoards of Potter fans as a ride entitled Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Gee, J.K. Rowling, why didn’t you name one of your seven highly acclaimed books that?  I can’t for the life of me see why. 

Anyway, so Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey;  first you walk through the dungeons, which are pretty artfully done, and then you proceed through a line that meanders about the Herbology greenhouses.  When you finally enter the castle, you find yourself in rooms that incorporate one of the best features of Hogwarts—talking portraits!

The paintings are adorable.  They bring to life several characters that you will surely remember from the books, and the magic starts to come to life.  They are followed by various statues, the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, the Fat Lady, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and several other artful touches that will enchant the true fan and the casual movie watcher alike. 

The Trio makes their appearance before the ride begins of course,  and when you board the ride you are hoisted into the air by one of Hermione’s spells—because nothing is complete without the genius witch’s wandwork!

What then follows is an absolutely ingenious conglomeration of the first four Harry Potter books which includes the Chamber of Secrets, a dragon, Aragog, dementors, Quidditch, and the stunning usage of bubbled screens that truly make you feel like you are flying with Harry himself. 

It was unlike any ride I have ever been on, and it was an absolute thrill.  My sister and I described it as crazy amazing—it was a bit crazy in that neither of us really knew what was going on, but amazing in its effects and ability to bring the series and the grounds of Hogwarts into stunning clarity before the awed visitor. 

So, despite my skepticism, it was a bloody brilliant ride.  It avoided all the elements of the series that I disliked (the entirety of the last three books) and rejoiced in the bright and exciting adventures of Harry in his early years.   Is Hogwarts finally accessible at Universal Orlando? Of course not.  But the Forbidden Journey offers us Muggles a superb taste of the magic that will always be just beyond our reach.

Busch Gardens have now opened the new Sesame Street Safari of Fun. It is more for the little ones, which we believe, is needed as there are limited kiddies rides at a lot of the Parks. The height restrictions imposed at the parks can spoil the family day as the great disappointment for the little ones when they are turned away brings the whole family down.

The music filled area with the African dance tunes keeping everyone’s feet tapping while the kids can enjoy the kid size rides, water fun and lots of surprises waiting!!

Elmo’s Tree House is great climbing fun and Grover’s desert ride has the children all screaming with joy. They have now introduced the Dine with the Characters experience, this added with all of the Bigger rides helps keep all of the family well and truly entertained.

Aquatica’s Omaka Rocka ride has brought lots of comments from the guests at our villa and they are all GOOD!! Evidently, you get the same experience of snowboarding and skateboarding as you speed down the water slides into massive funnels, experiencing weightlessness as you can ride the curves up and down and even go backwards. Everyone can join in and enjoy the ride without being professional, even a Granddad has improved his ”Street Cred” with his family!! which he couldn’t help but mention in our guest book.

Larry & I are certainly looking forward to taking our grandchildren ( he needs some “Brownie Points of late!!) 

Have fun

Mary & larry

The countries the park has are:

Mexico

Norway

China

Germany

Italy

American adventure

Japan

Morocco

France

United Kingdom

Canada

In these little outlet’s children and adults can learn about different foods and cultures that other countries have to offer.

There also something for the kids to do….they can collect stamps while they are walking around the different countries (the world) once they have collected them they can then exchange these for a free poster making it more likely that the will remember more about EPCOT.

Every ride and attraction helps to teach the audience visitors and guest’s something, whether it is about energy and the “pros” and “cons” of all energy sources as seen in Ellen Degenrees “Universe of Energy” ride, or a historical summary of Man’s achievements on Earth as depicted on the “Spaceship Earth” ride, otherwise known as the giant golf ball ride. This ride is customized for the passenger, allowing you to choose your home country via a computer onboard the ride along with an opportunity to select answers from a series of questions and then creating a future world for the passenger based on your responses.

Overall EPCOT is an educational theme park that goes about furthering this objective in entertaining ways. Many rides are supportive on respectable goals such as conservation, respect for our environment and cultural understanding.

The only ride which I can say I did not like very much was, “The Mission Space simulator” that was only because afterwards I felt quite sick and fuzzy headed.

EPCOT is a great theme park, which I thought was quite a bit larger than Magic Kingdom, and one which offers their guests a truly unique experience; you might even come away learning something new about our world that we live in!

The ever popular STAR WARS Weekends started last Friday (21st. May and run through until June 11 - 13

Held at Disneys Hollywood Studios, it unbelievably celebrates it’s 30th. year getting more and more popular as the years go by. The  Jedi Knights, Sith Lords and Star Wars are all there for special shows, presentations and photo opportunities. There is no need for you to travel to another Universe or Galaxy to come face to face with droids, alien creatures and Star Wars characters.

The young ones can have fights with their lightsabers (naturallly on sale!!!) and prepare to do battle with Darth Vader. There are prize giveaways, rides on a Starspeeder and a parade of distant Worlds.Plus, there are plenty of conversations, autograph sessions and motorcades with the celebrities and creators.

 This year’s celebrity hosts for all 4 weekends are Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka) where you can choose from either the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force to hear a special message from a Star Wars character inviting you to be a part of this special event!

This is a must for all STAR WAR Fans. A good tip is to grab a FASTPASS before the Park opens to ensure your place in line for celebrity autographs.You will see the autograph FASTPASS kiosk outside the Front Gate entrance, be early as they will go fast and ther numbers are limited.

Each day ends with the Hyperspace Hoopla! show, where many favorites let loose with music, comedy, dancing and more. With Ewoks, Wookiees, stormtroopers, Jawas and more invading all yoiu young Padawan Learners and their parents would be wise to have your  cameras ready.It all sounds great to us old Grandparents, just wish we were over there.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Mary & Larry

Great news for Animal Kingdom visitors, there is a New Baby at The Park. They are celebrating the birth of a Baby Gorilla. This is the 3rd. baby gorilla to be born in The Park

Guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom can see this special treat along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where they can get a rare glimpse of a newborn gorilla born February 19. The very much endangered Western lowland gorilla is doing well and has already become the star attraction of the gorilla family group which includes first-time mother, Kashata, father Gino, and two other females, Benga and Hope.

They are unable to name the new born baby  yet as it takes a while to be able to find out the Gender as it is constantly in the clutches of its mother.

Sometimes the mother does not take to the new offspring but members of the primate team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are encouraged by Kashata’s natural instincts at motherhood. Evidently  first-time mothers often experience difficulty knowing the right things to do. They must learn to properly hold the baby and be able to adapt to a demanding nursing and feeding schedule.

Since Kashata has been holding the baby close to her body, animal keepers have yet to determine the baby’s gender. Most gorilla mothers keep their offspring close for several months while the baby adjusts to the environment. Babies  nurse for approximately 12 months and may be weaned between the ages of four and five so we all must wait a while to find out both the sex and the name of the new arrival .

We are over in April so Animal Kingdom is on our “Must Do” list. Hope you all get time to enjoy it too.

Kindest regards,

Mary & Larry

Yet again more changes to the Theme Park prices, there are so many packages now it is really difficult to choose the best deal that suits your family requirements.

In readiness for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando have announced a new ticket pricing structure called “U Select”. It is similar to the Disney “Magic Your Way” ticket system where you buy a base ticket for a number of days with the option to park hop if you wish. Presumably this is to encourage visitors to stay longer than just one or two days during their vacation. Just like Disney they want you in THEIR Parks to spend your money to make up for the smaller crowds.

You can buy either a one, two, three, four or seven day pass to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks (excluding separately ticketed events such as Halloween, Thanks Giving, Christmas Shows). If you wish to visit both parks on the same day, then you can upgrade to the park-to-park access option.

Though the adult one day ticket remains the same price at $79 plus tax, the two day ticket is considerably more expensive than it used to be. By buying three or more days then the “day rate” drops. Tickets are valid for up to 14 consecutive days from the date of first use but there is not a optional “no expiry” charge like the Disney tickets. If you are still not confused to which is the best for YOU there is more!!!

The joint Universal and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment tickets known as Orlando Flex tickets have also gone up in price by $25.

We think everyone needs to get as much information that is going to help them get the best deal and save them some money. Most home owners will do their best to help but it will still come down the the guests prefered choice.

With all of this going on, we still feel the Fun, Entertainment, Shows and the Magic is still worthwhile.

Happy Holidays

Mary & Larry

We arrived at Universal one summers afternoon just as the storm clouds opened, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they moved off we parked the car and decided to make our way along the walkways from the car park. Well lets say that the storm didn’t move off as quickly as we hoped so we were stuck there for a little while as it was raining that hard it wasn’t worth getting wet for, but true to style the rain relented and we made our way toward Islands of Adventure.

However before we made it Margaritaville called us over, as it was still a little wet we went in and decided to have a margarita.  We had promised ourselves that we would try one this year.

It was early in the afternoon, no plans of driving until that evening so we thought why not? Having never tried a margarita before it was going to be an experience.

We were pleasantly surprised by the great welcome we got from the bartender who said it was fine for our boys to sit at the bar, it was quiet but we are used to “no children” at the bar attitude that it made a lovely change, to sit there and chat to a “local” so we sat down and perused the menu. Gosh what a choice? I can’t remember which 3 margaritas we chose but they were all very different and had great names. Next came “sugar or salt”? Sorry? Around the glass would you like “Sugar or Salt”? My sister and husband chose salt but I chose sugar and I think I made the right chose but that comes down to the individual’s choice. WOW, that first sip nearly took my head off, I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong, thank goodness we were going to have a lazy afternoon at the park. For some reason my sister decided against the Hulk that afternoon, (me I never go on it) I wonder why??

What was nice was that the boys could eat at the bar whilst we took it easy with the drinks, play on a bar game like skittles and we could all relax. My 13 year old has asked to return next year for a meal, so perhaps we will have to try another margarita?

During the holiday period at Epcot, from November 27th - December 30th. the Park is transformed into an International Celebration of Christmas traditions from throughtout the World. It is highlighted by the Candlelight Procession with the live entertainment and decorations a sight to not to be missed.

Candlelight processional is held on Selected Nights at The American Gardens Theatre, telling Christmas stories narrated by Celebrity Speakers, accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra and a Full Mass Choir. Whoopi Goldberg is one of the narrators this year. It is very popular, as you can imagine and fills up very quickly, so you need to get there early. You can pre book with a meal package which guarantees your seat at the show and the fireworks. (We didn’t and took our chance by getting there early). 

It is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit and to see and share the magic feelings with people from all over the world but most importantly, your own family. It is truely an amazing atmosphere which we will share again when our next visit takes in Christmas.

Add this to you “Must Do” list, not forgetting The Osborne Lights.

Have a great Christmas at Disney

Mary & Larry

I first visited Sea World in California in 1984 so things have changed a bit since then. One of the highlights for me and probably lots of other people is the Clyde & Seymour show, I know every single corny joke but it’s always good fun and the mime showing people in is hilarious. If you’ve ever been caught you know to get in early next time!

Of course the main attraction is the Shamu show which is just fantastic, I love the fact that there is a conservation programme going on as well and it’s wonderful to see these intelligent, lovable animals and the obvious understanding with them and their trainers.

The dolphin show has changed quite a bit recently, now including tropical birds and performers as well as the dolphins. It’s great entertainment for everyone. There are areas where you can just observe the animals aswell, in a habitat which has been created to be as close the their native home as possible. You can watch the seals and feed them at certain times, they are very noisy and fun to watch, at the dolphin pool you might be lucky and have them come close enough for you to touch, more often they duck away at the last minute.

You can see penguins, polar bears, manattees, sting rays, sharks and a host of creatures you might never otherwise get to see, let alone interact with. The shark experience is very good, walking through a glass tunnel with sharks swimming overhead and all around. In every area there is a conservation and educational theme so you can learn more about the animals you see.

I also like the fact that they have a ‘Help the Heroes’ programme and show their support for servicemen and women everywhere, they show a tribute during the Shamu show which is quite moving.

The park is owned by a brewery and the Shire horses are beautIful, the tack and all the other equipment is beautifully maintained and at times you can see them tacking up the horses and taking out the drey.

All the parks have seasonal opening hours so it’s a good idea to check on the website before you go –www.waltdisneyworld.com.  Most people buy their Disney tickets before they leave home but you can also buy them at the entrance to all the parks or from places such as Wal-Mart where there’s a dedicated attraction ticket shop inside the store.

Drive into Disney and follow signs to the Magic Kingdom

You’ll need $14 for the car park and make a note of where you’ve parked! It’s very easy to lose your car!

Take the monorail or the boat into Magic Kingdom (both only go there so you can’t get lost and often the characters are on there)

There’s a bag search at the entrance, then you’re in!

Remember to collect a map with show time guide as this changes daily.

Everyone usually walks up to the castle and turns left so if it’s really busy and you want to avoid all the queues turn right instead.

As with all the Disney parks the most popular rides use a “fast pass” system. You go to the ride put your park entrance ticket into the machine and it will give you a time to go on the ride (this is usually on a sign above the machines). This means you go straight to the front of the queue and can save a lot of time. Whilst you’re waiting for the allotted time you will probably have time to go on other rides, have something to eat or do a bit of shopping. There’s usually a separate entrance to the ride for people with fast passes so be sure to get in the right line. Sometimes there’s a time on the fastpass that tells you when you can get another fast pass for another ride so if you know where you want to go next you can plan ahead.

Must Sees at  Magic Kingdom (lots of other rides too!)

Tomorrowland

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin 
Be a superhero and fire your laser cannon at interactive targets to help Buzz Lightyear, star of Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story,” save the toy galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg!

Space Mountain  (height restrictions)
Rocket into another galaxy aboard this rollicking high-speed roller coaster space adventure.

Honey I shrunk the audience

Great show

Star Tours

Simulator –ride through space

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor 
Join Mike Wazowski and his pals in this new interactive comedy showcase inspired by Disney·Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.

Frontierland

Big ThunderMountain Railroad

Great train ride

SplashMountain

Log flume –exciting with good drop

Adventureland

Pirates of the Caribbean

Log flume –very gentle (now based on the film)

Fantasyland

Mickey’s PhilharMagic 
Immerse yourself in a magical 3-D adventure show starring Mickey Mouse and a surprise “con-DUCK-tor”.

It’s a small world

Mad Tea Party

Peter Pan flight

Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion 
Ride through the most haunted mansion ever with a ghost host, ghouls galore — and some ghastly surprises(Very clever and not too scary)

Wishes Nighttime Spectacular Be dazzled by the biggest, brightest fireworks  - a great end to the day

This is best viewed from Main Street – usually at 9pm