Universal Studios

Today P and I planned to travel light and fast. I had heard Universal Studios was very strict about carry on items on rides - so I put my phone and wallet in zipped pockets and went without a bag. Our hotel, the Rosen Shingle Creek, offers a free shuttle service to Universal so P and I hopped on the first available bus at 9:45. 

We started the day with the new Despicable Me ride: Minion Mayhem. As a new ride - it had a long line 60 minutes posted. Don't you think P looks good minion goggles?

I was totally annoyed when the first staffer at the Rip rocket ride told me the phone in my zipped pocket was not allowed. "Say what???"  I didn't forfeit carrying a bag to be turned around to and forced to use a locker for a phone in my pocket !  So I told P to go on the ride without me while I waited for him at the exit. Universal Studios is probably legitimately worried about loose change and the like flying off the ride and injuring somebody else. After Transformer's and Revenge of the Mummy we decided to head to Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. 

What was really cool was there was no signage to Diagon Alley - we came upon King's Cross station and the Knight's Bus. I looked on the map and found  the ride "Escape from Gringott's" - I headed in that general direction. After walking around a brick wall we were faced with Diagon Alley in all it's glory. We felt just like Harry Potter the first time he saw it too!

The detail in the Escape from Gringott's ride was amazing. The chandeliers were opulent and the goblins were very lifelike as we entered the bank!  The ride was a better mix of real movement and green screens for me. Universal uses a lot of green screens in their rides and those tend to make me motion sick. We decided to eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron - p had banger's and mash and I had a chicken sandwich.   It was accompanied by the requisite Butterbeer of course!!

Time to board the Hogwart's Express at King's cross station, platform 9 3/4 of course!

It was a real train ride from one Universal Park to another but it had images projected on the windows as if we were travelling g from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade. Cool. Once arrived we rode on the Forbidden Journey. A stop at Honeydukes sweet shop was fun but we didn't buy anything. 

Time to cook down with a Jurassic Park water ride, twice - I forgot just how wet one can get on that ride!!  So after that P decided he wanted to head back to the hotel and do his religion homework and go for a swim. 

But the rain had other ideas!  We forfeited our run for the shuttle bus and hung out under a patio umbrella while it poured rain (P ate Dip'n Dots). Since we missed the first bus we decided to go for a log ride (Dudley do right's Ripsaw Falls). Once we were about to step onto the ride the attendant told us Ride was shut down due to lightning. We hung out for 15 minutes hoping it would open. No such luck. 

So we ran through the rain- list of it for 20 minutes to catch the next bus!  We were soaking wet and cold by the time we boarded the bus and returned to the hotel. 

Supper homework and now a late night swim for all three of us!