Yes, in Harry Potter World there is a lot to absorb even if you can't ride the rides. I just love it. This will be the first time for my kids and husband to visit.
It will be my aunt & uncle's first time too, and I loved just hanging out there last year and taking it all in, so I'm happy to that them to see it. (And... Butterbeer.
)
On Forbidden Journey I came within seconds of needing the special bag. This is a third ride which includes Mission Space and Hulk that I recently almost lost my lunch. Old age is creeping up on me.
I'm feeling the saaaaaame way, girl. In 2014, I rode Space Mountain for the first time in 5 years. I've always considered it a mild coaster... Not anymore. I was all kinds of messed up during and after it.
Hey there Billie! I'm still reading along, just haven't been commenting lately... I'm such a slacker.
I'm struggling to keep up with the TRs and PTRs that I follow, too! I totally understand!
Anyhow, I saw this on facebook today and it cracked me up! Made me think of you.
SO FREAKIN' TRUE. LET THE LEGS BE FREEEEEEEE!
I'm so jealous you're headed to Universal as well! I have not been there since 2010. I'm actually really just jealous about the frozen butterbeer. I love that stuff. I drink about 2 a day, and I don't even drink anything beside water on a regular day, and I don't really like sweet drinks in general. I like it better than lefou's brew.
I mostly avoid frozen drinks, aside from the stray cocktail. I'm very prone to the debilitating BRAIN FREEZE. So I stuck to the good old regular sodapop-ish Butterbeer. But man, I loved it. It they would put that stuff into 2-liter bottles, or even 6-packs, I would buy a year's supply to take home with me.
Universal is missing the boat on a great money-making opportunity!
Ohana! My favorite place! Can't wait to see your trip pictures!
I love it, too! I've been on every trip since 2006. I'm going to break tradition next year and forgo it for trying something new, so this year I'm going to be sure to really SAVOR it!!! (And take pics, of course!)
I really want to do Universal, not quite enough to leave Disney for it, but once my minions are a bit older, and more then just minion 1 is big enough to do things at the parks we may end up breaking the bubble. Maybe during the 2018 trip (I've decided it is a birthday trip, I'm turning 40, I'm doing Disney!) or more likely the 2021 trip, plan ahead me? Never!
If it makes you feel any better, I have my annual Disney trips planned all the way through 2021 too.
I am also jealous of 'Ohana, it was on my list to do on our second trip next year, which isn't happening now, we're doing
Disneyland instead. It is already on the list for 2018, with my husband being pescetarian because of a weird meat allergy, it is the closest to a Brazilian restaurant I am likely to get...
If we're ever in Orlando at the same time, I'll pick you up one night and we'll go over to Texas de Brazil. It's closer to Universal. I've always wants to try a Brazilian steakhouse, but never have! We can be partners in pigging out!
I have to admit I'm also super jealous of you getting to stay at AoA, the minions all want to stay there, but we ended up at CBR instead.
Ironically, I'd rather be staying at CBR.
I prefer the moderates. I ended up going with AoA for a lot of reasons, though. The main one being that with it being Aunt Debby and Uncle Mark's first time, I really want them to be IMMERSED in Disney.
I'm a big HP fan and would love to go to Universal just for that. But I get motion sickness very easily and wouldn't be able to go on the rides. Maybe I'll go to just soak up the atmosphere.
I went to Universal JUST for HP last year, and loved it! The only thing I rode was the Hogwarts Express, it's just a train ride, I bet you could handle that. I still had a great time just shopping and eating and watching the shows and checking the place out. And of course... Butterbeer.
Great Plans!!
I'm still a bit disappointed we are not making it to US/IOA this trip, but the tentative plan is for my sister and I to have a sister trip next October and we both love HP so it would be better for us to visit then since we will have the freedom to look around and soak it all in (and not worry about others getting bored).
That sounds like a great time!!! You'll love it, it's truly amazing!
If you happen to have any extras and don't feel like bringing them home, feel free to run them over to Pop and leave them at the front desk for me. Because, y'know, I'm sure they're totally cool holding on to things there for guests who won't show up for a month (okay, maybe not...).
Honestly, I usually do bring more than I can drink, and then have extra bottled coffee and water left over at the end of the trip. I don't want to haul it home with me, so I leave it in the fridge for Housekeeping to enjoy. If I thought that would hold it at the front desk that long, I would totally leave it for you!
Seriously, I wish they sold the bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos at Disney. I hate paying airport prices, I'm afraid to travel with glass bottles in my checked luggage, and they're one of my favorite morning beverages!
I find it kinda strange that they don't, given that they obvious have a partnership with Starbucks in the parks. I know that they are supposed to sell exclusively Coca-Cola products, but clearly the do business with Starbucks now too, so why not sell their fridge-case products, too??
This makes me a little sad. I mean, the atmosphere is great, but ... Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is amazing and I wish you could experience it!
But even if they don't want to ride, you should encourage them to walk through the castle. I think there's a tour you can do if you're not riding. Or maybe they just let you walk through the line and go out the chicken exit. Either way, it's pretty cool to be inside Hogwarts - they did an amazing job with the themeing.
Oh, they definitely have a walk-through of Hogwarts! I did it last year! It's a separate queue from the ride line, but moves along parallel to it. So I was able to see everything. I'll do that again with them in December!
Looks yummy! And definitely a different flavor profile than any wizard food you'll be eating earlier in the day...
Exactly! Gotta mix it up! Haha!
So I used my mostly quiet night shift yesterday to catch up on this thread. Still haven't gotten to everything but I'll get there eventually.
So exciting to be planning a Disney Bday trip! That's the ultimate treat in my opinion.
I'm also a December baby- December 5 in fact.
Yay!
December babies are the BEST!
I wanted to share the pic of me in my tiara from last year's 33rd birthday, but kinda having some trouble with that. Can I still join the Princess Club?
Sure, come on in!
Yes, I went around town on my birthday last year wearing a tiara. People definitely looked at me weird but I didn't care. I also named myself "Princess" on my phone.
Hahaha! When I boot my phone up, it says "Hi, Princess!"
I love your food posts and can totally relate!!! I've been researching dining for my upcoming trip and it is so hard to narrow it down. Not to mention driven my family crazy with my constant talking about it!
I'm reminded right now of an old home video, I must have been around 11-14 or so, in which I'm eating a piece of cake and saying "My name is Odelia and I LOVE to eat" in a rather dramatic voice. Still get teased about that by my sisters.
You and I could hang. I make no secret of my love of FOOD. My name is Billie, and I go to Disney to EAT.
Ok, enough rambling.....
Well except to say that you've inspired me to start my own PTR. Hopefully I'll have something up by next week.
Yay! Let me know when you get it going, I'll be happy to follow along!
Harry Potter Day! Very exciting business!
It sounds like a fun day! I would love to add Universal on to a trip but the boys are too small for most of the rides. Maybe in a few years?
Definitely wait until they are older and taller. Or go SOLO.
Yum, your Ohana dinner pictures are making me hungry! We're doing breakfast this trip but I'm planning on dinner in May.
I did breakfast for the first time on my little April trip this year, and it was AWESOME!!! Dinner there is still my favorite, though.
Excited about more plans!
Workload permitting, going to try to post about Day 3 tomorrow!!
Billie! Just caught up - love the Candy Cane Cutie
Thanks!!! I think it'll be great for the Christmas party! I'm such a sucker for Disney facepainting!
So I got behind because I was on a road trip with my kids visiting my sister in Alpharetta, Ga. Thought of you (again) when we drove through SC
If I didn't have the boys with me I
totally would have tried to figure out how far out of my way you were to see if we could have met! Damn kids lol, they would have just whined, and complained about the extra time in the car, blah, blah, blah........
Awww, its os nice to be thought of!!!
If it makes you feel any better, though, you actually were still nearly 5 hours from me. So a good long ways yet.
I too like the way you plan out your days, even if it's born out of boredom. I've never gotten anywhere near that specific for our trips, but our upcoming Thanksgiving trip will be the busiest time we've been there and I'm seriously considering doing something like you do
This is more specific than I've gotten on a trip in ages. When runnin' solo, I hit the parks with my ADRs and my FP+, but that's about it. I'm planning this one out more closely to squeeze as much in for Aunt Debby and Uncle Mark, as well as to try to minimize criss-crossing the park (like I normally do) and give their feet a break.
I've talked with a few people here on the DIS about this, but princesses and other face characters really trigger my social anxiety. I can handle quick in-park meet and greets, but for some reason a whole meal's worth of them back-to-back felt overwhelming, so I backed out.
I'm shy even online). Anyway, I came out of hiding to chime in on the motion sickness topic. I don't personally have issues, but I have a friend who was my Disney buddy for a few years (we live in FL so we got annual passes at the same time) who does. As mentioned above, the only place on SE where she had issues was the backwards part, but it was because of the lights overhead and she just closed her eyes. But! She also had an issue on Nemo (I know, what?! It's the tamest ride EVER). It's the part where you "catch" the EAC with Crush, Squirt, and the other sea turtles - the motion of moving sideways in the clamshell while watching the screen really bothered her (just at that part - the rest of the ride was fine)! Since you asked about motion sickness, I thought I'd mention it since who would think FN could be a problem? You might want to warn your aunt to close her eyes if she feels sick at that part! 
