Theme Parks

Much delayed post given it's October, but I went to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida at the end of August / beginning of September.

Was the latest in the season I've ever gone, and it was definitely the off-season. Lots of walk-on rides. I was amazed at the lack of line ups for all the Harry Potter stuff, especially given the new area - Diagon Alley - had just opened a few weeks earlier.

Not too much to add about Disney from what I wrote here in 2013. Since I was last at Disney, the New Fantasyland expansion had opened. So, checked that out. It was... a let down, really. It's nicely themed. But the Little Mermaid ride is just another dark ride and I've ridden better ones at other Disney parks. Although the tech was cool and the character animatronics nicely animated. The new Snow White coaster was also mostly a dark ride with a couple coaster turns outside. The kiddie Goofy coaster is more thrilling. Again, nice looking but not really fun to ride. I like the Beauty and the Beast area though. Sitting in Gaston's Tavern was neat and the interior of Beast's Castle for the restaurant was really cool.

And then the Wizarding World of Harry Potter... first time for me. Absolutely loved it. They did a really terrific job. Little touches everywhere and it's just really fun to walk around and explore the shops. I like Diagon Alley more than Hogsmeade. It just felt more like I was really there I guess? And going behind the wall from London to get there was neat. Taking a working train as the Hogwarts Express from London to Hogsmeade was also really cool. You go through King's Cross station and make your way to Platform 9 3/4 and I was so giddy to see an actual sign for it. And through cool mirror tricks you get to see the rest of your group walk through a solid wall. The train pulls in with the steam and it's just really cool. Train ride to the other park consists of being in a train cab and watching what's going on in the hallway through the silohettes on the window. When the Dementors show up everything gets cold and frosty.

I didn't care much for the Gringrotts ride in Diagon Alley, it was just standard Universal "3D movie ride" fare. But the Forbidden Journey at Hogsmeade was fantastic.

It was just such a cool day for the Potter nerd in me.


Still like Disney better though. So, :p


Ate a few new places and checked out some new hotels. On our Animal Kingdom day, in the past we would check out Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner and look at the hotel's savannah with night vision. Did the same this time around but at the Animal Kingdom Villas instead. So, different savannah. Got there a little earlier too so got to look at the animals up close both in the daylight and afterwards in night vision. Ate dinner by a window. Just very surreal to sit there and have a giraffe walk by you lol Was a nice end to the night.

Also first time we stayed on property. Umm... not a fan. It is so inconvenient and time consuming to get anywhere by Disney bus. I can't imagine how anyone with a park hopper makes any good use of their time going from park to park by bus. We waited for at least an hour multiple times. Just standing there in the sun. Ugh. Also, the dining plan... is sickening lol I would rather everything come with an appetizer than a dessert. Hotel was nice though. Wilderness Lodge, so it felt all Canadian-like (my bed posts had beaver heads on them lol). We even saw some wild deer walk by one day!

Disney Hollywood Studios now has fireworks for the first time. Although they were Frozen-themed. I haven't seen that movie but they made for a good fireworks show. And then it they made it snow as we exited the park. Was cool.

Rained a lot while at Epcot :( All the shows got rained out. Didn't get to see the British music show or the Canadian Off-Kilter show. Damn. Wandering through the UK pavillion gift shops... a lot less childhood favourites now like Pooh, Poppins, Pan, Postman Pat, Paddington Bear, and other things that start with a P. A lot of soccer/football and rugby now. And Beatles, Monty Python, and Doctor Who stuff. Was eyeing Doctor Who and Python shirts though ultimately didn't pick them up.

I think that covers everything that was different from the last time I was there. That I can remember at the moment.