I was getting ready to go get some breakfast when I got a call from DW. She was getting online to print boarding passes for their flight Sunday morning when she noticed that DD’s middle name was wrong on the ticket. She has a hyphenated middle name and since that is what it says on her birth certificate, we wanted to make sure it matched. Even though we didn’t need to have ID for her to fly, we wanted to be sure the ticket matched any database that the TSA might be checking tickets against. I tried to get online to see if I could modify the ticket and I was unable to do anything. So I ended up calling Delta and chatting with them for a while. They checked everything out and said that their ticketing system won’t recognize hyphens but we should be good to go.
That's not a big deal at all.
I use my full name (first and middle) when I fly, and my boarding pass will sometimes have it as one name, whereas my IDs all have it as two separate names. It's not a problem. As long as its the same parts of the name, I don't think a hyphen or a space or whatnot will make a difference.
When I arrived at the entrance to Citywalk, they had 4 metal detectors set up. I proceeded to empty my pockets, walked through and it went off. They pulled me to the side and wanded me. Apparently my belt buckle had set it off.
That's like my worst nightmare. I mean, really? A belt buckle? That's what sets off your metal detector?
There are probably people who wear jewelry that's more dangerous than a belt buckle. But the belt buckle is what sets it off.
This seems kinda stupid.
Spoiler: It also didn’t set off the metal detectors at Disney World.
Same. I wore my belt through the medal detector at Disney and didn't set it off. So clearly Disney metal detectors are less crazy than the ones at Universal.
I love this picture.
I mean, I love Hogsmeade in general, but this picture really reminds me of how beautiful it truly is.
I entered the castle and walked through the queue. Many of the things I was impressed with the first time, I found more impressive this time since I actually knew what they were!
Yay! So I guess it's a good thing you watched the movies.
The broom sequences still got to me. They were maybe not quite as bad as I remembered from the first time, but I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go through another by the end of the ride. The Kuka arm technology that gets so much credit just seems overrated to me. I mean, yes, it is impressive how it moves and works. I can’t argue that.
So ... this makes me sad. The broom sequences are my favorite part.
But I can see how if you're not enjoying those parts and you don't have the emotional connection to Harry Potter than some people (like me) may have, it might not be so fun. Especially if you have some motion sensitivity. I guess it's not for everyone.
I know a lot of people love this one. And I hate to bash it. It is a good ride. I’m sure I’ll ride it again. But once a trip is more than enough for me.
I get this. I don't agree (at least for myself ... I'd ride it a million times if I could), but I understand it. Everyone has some rides that they don't feel a need to do more than once per trip.
I got in line for the HOGWARTS Express (
@SarahDisney).
I won't apologize for being a Potter fanatic.
I really liked the train ride. It was neat how you could see things going on out the window and see silhouettes and hear conversation of Hermione, Ron and Harry in the hallway outside. I thought it was a great touch to bring everything together and definitely worth getting the 2 park ticket to experience it.
Oh, you just made me really excited to do it. And sad that I have no idea when I will make it to Universal. But mostly excited.
I noticed the dude in the window (help me out Potter fans) at 12 Grimmauld Place. I wanted to try to get a picture of him, but I clearly didn’t stick around long enough to see the curtain open again.
Having never been there, I don't know who's supposed to be in the window. There are a few options ... it could be Sirius Black (although he's dead), it could be Kreacher the house-elf ... I'd need a picture to tell you. So ... fail, Andy. Fail.
I turned around and walked back. Again, I saw this opening in a wall. No, this can’t be it… this must be an exit, I haven’t seen anyone go in there and I’ve only seen people come out. I walked on down looking for… well, looking for anything until I ended up back in front of the restrooms again. I finally determined that I’m an idiot and it must be that cut out in the brick wall that I thought was some kind of an exit. I walked back and I was soon in Diagon Alley.
The wall behind the Leaky Cauldron opens and you go in the entrance in the wall. Seriously, first movie. Come on, Andy, you're killing me here!
I went in and I really think Diagon Alley is even more impressive than Hogwarts.
Man, I really need to go there!!!
We got through the first drop and a short segment of the ride. We had just rounded a corner when the ride came to a halt. They played some kind of an announcement, but we couldn’t hear it because they still had the sounds in the ride playing at full blast. At least it helped drown out this poor little girl who was crying hysterically and just wanted off the ride. We sat there for about 10 minutes. I had already started looking around trying to figure out how they’re going to get to us to evacuate the ride, but thankfully another announcement came on (I’m assuming to announce that the ride would be starting up) and then we were on our way.
Apparently this ride breaks down pretty frequently. From what I hear, your experience is not at all uncommon.
Go figure.
Despite watching the movies, making an effort and really wanting to fall in love with the Harry Potter attractions, I just really wasn’t feeling it.
I think it's a lot easier to love the attractions if you loved the movies independent of the parks. If you watched the movies just because you were going to the parks (as you did), I could see why you may not have the same love of the area.
This is where I first encountered “the Minions.” The Minions were a family who didn’t speak English as a first language. It was a multi-generational group of probably 20+ people wearing Minions shirts. I had the pleasure of being behind them in the queue. They weren’t horrible, but they felt the need to stop and take selfies approximately 5000 times on the way in. I’m just glad they missed the photo op at the entrance to platform 9 ¾. I can only imagine how long that would have taken to take individual pictures of everyone doing that and then more pictures in pairs or groups.
These sound like fun people. Really.
I'm all for family trips, but ... people, not every combination of family members needs to be in every picture!
It took me 15 minutes just to get to a locker for a queue that was essentially a walk on. I can’t even imagine how horrible it would be when the park gets busy.
We encountered the lockers twice: Forbidden Journey and Dragon Challenge. Both times we had a backpack. Both times we had to wait 5-10 minutes to get a locker.
But this was pre-metal detectors, so people were still going through with things in their pockets. The system was designed for the old way, not the metal detecor era.
Kind of hard to tell time when your phone is locked in a locker.
When did people stop wearing watches?
Seriously, I've noticed this. When I want to know what time it is, I look at my watch. I'm apparently the only one.
I just kept having these contrasting feelings. I’d get fed up and frustrated with the way Universal operates… and then I’d discover some new detail that would really just impress me. As much as I’m bashing Universal on some of these things, their attention to detail is just incredible, and regardless of how I feel about their stupid metal detectors, it is definitely worth checking it all out at least once.
I think this is how some people feel about Disney too. Everything has its pluses and minuses. But it's worth trying to see if you like it enough to overcome the negatives.
They were all girls maybe in their late teens or early twenties who apparently must be related to the wicked witch of the West. Based on the way they were acting I have to think that any contact with water must be fatal to them.
As someone who's only a little bit older than that ... yes. Contact with water is fatal.
Unless you're washing your hair.
Yes… think a couple of girls who are maybe 5’4” at the most trying to pin the lap bar as tight as possible as they can against their legs.
And they’re using the same lap bar as a guy who is 6’3”.
As someone who has lap bar issues ... I think theme park people need to learn to organize rows by height. When there's a shared lap bar, you can't have people with drastically different heights. It just doesn't work.
Or maybe we can make you tall people wait on a different line...
I really can’t explain it, but just before we started down the hill something happened and my leg must have spasmed a little bit. It caused the bar to abruptly come back up a few inches and they were sitting upright for the splash. Oops. Sorry about that.
Are you? Are you sorry about it?
Or do you think they got what they deserved?
Holy crap! There’s nothing there, except for the station and the initial launch tube. The rest of the track is gone!
They're completely rebuilding the track. I don't remember whether the layout will change or if they're putting in a new track with the same layout. I actually have heard a lot about what's going on with the refurb, but I've since forgotten most of it. At my age you can't be expected to remember such things.
SarahDisney – Calling me out on the Hogwarts Express
It's always nice when being a Potter nerd gets me something.
Overall Leaderboard:
jandlinz 106
Gracefulskinny 93
SarahDisney 89
I know you don't think it counts, but I'm happy with top 3.
I just have to up my game if I want to stay in the top 3.
2. Which character meet fascinated me? (10 points)
Hmm ... I'm going to go with Transformers.
3. I indicated that I had kind of a second breakfast at Lard Lad. Which of these did I get: The Big Pink, D’oh-nuts or Apple Fritter? (5 points)
This is a hard one for me because I despise the Simpsons. But I'm gonna go with D’oh-nuts.
4. What was my favorite shop in Diagon Alley? (10 points)
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
Because who doesn't love a good joke shop.
5. What was my last ride before leaving the park? (20 points)
The Simpsons Ride
6. I wanted to stop for a hurricane at a favorite bar of mine on the way out of CityWalk. I failed to research that it wouldn’t open until a couple of hours after I had to leave. Can you guess where I was trying to go? (20 points)
Pat O'Brien's. Because I think Hurricane is a New Orleans drink and I think that's a New Orleans bar.
7. Was my hotel ready when I arrived to check in? (5 points)
Nope.
8. Did I take pictures of the room? (10 points)
No, because it wasn't ready yet.
9. Our hotel was attached to the Convention Center by a skywalk. What was the distance in tenths and hundredths of a mile from the hotel lobby to the registration desk in the Convention Center? – points awarded based on how close guesses are
0.75 miles. Because half a mile is too short of a walk and a full mile is too long.
I want to thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Some of you know what is going on, and while I still don’t want to share everything on a public forum, I’ll share a little bit. We have discovered a problem with the baby. It isn’t anything that can be dealt with now. As far as being in womb goes, DW and the baby are fine, but the baby is going to need some extra care when born. Right now all we can do is wait and hope for the best.
Oh man, I was hoping it wasn't something like this. I hope everything works out okay and when the time comes, the baby can get the care it needs.