A Magical Weekend {Orlando, FL}

We spent one fabulous day immersed in all things Harry Potter at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Our first stop was Diagon Alley (in Universal Studios). I loved how the entrance is a little hidden, but the wall opens up just like in the books! We made our way straight down the middle of the alley where we immediately jumped onto the "Escape from Gringotts" Ride. It was a 3D ride on a mini coaster and it was a blast.

After, we went to get a (frozen) butterbeer and we explored all of the shops like Ollivander's, Magical Menagerie, Quality Quidditch Supplies and more! My favorite part was Knockturn Alley though. In a lot of the shop windows and situated throughout the park, they have these great interactive spots to "cast spells" to make ran fall from the sky, spray water at you from the fountains, etc. It totally had me wanting a wand, but I resisted - those things were expensive!

Of course, I had to take a picture next to Sirius' house - Number 12 Grimmauld Place. We wandered over to Kings Cross station and jumped on the Hogwarts Express. Something to note: this is actually a ride and has a different theme based on which direction you are going. Just a fun surprise (and an easy way to move between the parks).

We arrived in Hogsmeade and made our way to the Three Broomsticks for some grub and a brew. They have some traditional British food here, which I loved! After, we walked up to Hogwarts castle. There is a "Forbidden Journey" ride here which I liked, but Jason didn't - it was kind of spinny! 

There are some great shops here as well, but our favorite was Honeyduke's! We were able to watch a performance of the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton kids afterwards. After we were done exploring, we made our way back to Universal Studios (via the Hogwarts Express) to hit some favorite rides from when we went years (and years) ago. I would like to point out that we played the super awesome Men In Black laser game and I somehow beat Jason. Ha. There's a first time for everything! 

I know I've said this before, but it really is the little details that made this so special. Even when you are waiting in line, there is something cool to look at or explore. They really nailed the whole experience! We had a wonderful little weekend in Orlando and when we got home, all we wanted to do was to have a Harry Potter movie marathon.

Next up for us - we'll be heading to ITALY in a week!

Tampa, FL

My annual training for work was in sunny Tampa, FL. I had never been and to be honest, I really wasn't sure what there was to do there. Since it was a work trip, my exploration time was limited, but I did manage to get out and see some sights. 

We had an event scheduled at the Florida Aquarium on Monday night. It was a really fun event with dinner tables set up between the exhibits.

Tuesday night, I made a quick trip to Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. I tried the famous 1905 Salad and Black Bean soup. Super delicious!

The rest of my trip was not so fun. I'll suffice it to say that it was one of the worst 36 hours of my life thanks to the conference lunch. *shudder* We left Wednesday afternoon and got home late in the evening. I am super happy to be home and feeling almost normal again.

Tampa was a great city for a conference. Transportation around the area was super easy on the trolleys and I was able to run along the beautiful waterfront in the morning. The conference wasn't half bad either :) I would have loved to have made it to the Dali Museum, but they have kind of horrible hours. Oh well, next time!

We're (hopefully) leaving for Central America on Saturday. Cross your fingers for us!

Orlando, FL

You may remember, but I went to a conference in NYC during Christmas time last year. I try to go to one conference a year to maintain my CPA license (boooring), but I at least try to pick them in fun places. This year, I picked Orlando, FL. I've been to both Universal and Disney World a few times before, but that was before the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was built. I went early on Sunday (my conference started Monday) in order to spend all day exploring Harry Potter's world. One extreme benefit of going alone is the fact that I was able to take the "Single Rider" line at a lot of attractions and zip through lines.

I was able to explore all of Harry Potter world in around 6 hours. I wandered around Hogsmeade, saw the Hogwart's Express, visited Honeyduke's, Zonko's and Hog's Head and grabbed a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.  (For those interested, the best way to describe butterbeer is like a foamy cream soda.) It was super yummy, but extremely sweet. Please excuse all the iPhone photos - I didn't want to lug around my normal DSLR around the parks.

At Honeyduke's I bought a pumpkin juice, chocolate frog and some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to bring back to Jason. They had other candy from the movie as well - Fizzing Whizbees, Sugar Quills, Ton Tongue Toffee, Pepper Imps - it was so fun!

I rode the Dragon Challenge which was the only real roller coaster in the park. My favorite ride though was the Forbidden Journey. This was the longest line I waited in (30 min), but you get a chance to walk through the castle while you wait. I saw the Mirror of Erised, Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the sorting hat and more. It was really all of the little details that made this park amazing. Even a trip to the bathroom was a fun experience thanks to a visit from Moaning Myrtle.

While I loved everything about it, I have to admit that it was rather small. I can't imagine spending a whole day here. It was great to go and live in Harry's world for a while though!

The only thing of note at the conference was listening Madeleine Albright speak - she is HILARIOUS! After the conference though, I got the nights to myself to explore. I bought an "after 4pm" ticket for Monday night and went to check out Magic Kingdom! Since the park was open until 11pm, I was still able to get in 7 hours of Disney fun. There was a new area called Fantasyland that I had to check out. My first stop though is always to the Main Street Confectionary to get a Mickey Mouse rice krispie treat.

I hit all the usual spots, but my favorite ride there will always be The Haunted Mansion. I saw the Electric Light Parade which is always fun! In my opinion, Disney is the best at night - you have the parade and fireworks and if you don't want to go to those, the rest of the park is SUPER empty! After the fireworks, the families with kids usually leave as well.

I really had fun and was glad I got the chance to explore Orlando. It might be a while before I got back to either park, but it really is magical every time I go!

Next up: I'll be going with my dad to my cousin's wedding in Simi Valley, CA (north of LA) in early August. I'm looking forward to seeing them get married and spending time with my family!