A TR Restart to a Holiday 21st B-Day Trip during COVID

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 24 – Making a Beeline for Gringotts

We had a slightly late night at DHS the night before but this was our first day at Universal Orlando and the whole family’s first time going to Diagon Alley! So we were up and made it thru the getting up and getting ready routine. I can tell you that despite the hiccups we had with our 3 bedroom lockout at Cypress Pointe, it was WONDERFUL to have 3 separate bathrooms when it came to getting ready and ending our days.

We were out the door and in our Lyft by 8:15am and had been dropped off at the roof of the parking structure right at 8:30am. Looking at the timestamp of our first photo, it took us 7 minutes to get thru security and on the moving walkway

We made it!

Our first stop was the obligatory pics on the surfboard. We first did this shot way back in 2002 on our very first trip to Orlando with my mom and pop and had me, my mom, and PumpkinGirl on it (Jinx was still a toddler back then). The first version of the wave was a bit more dynamic!

Then on our next family trip in 2012 we took some of Jinx and PumpkinGirl – time sure flies!

With that taken care of we moved on towards the entrance

Even with having to go to will-call to get our e-tickets printed out and get our photo package lanyards done, we were still walking down the main drag by 9am sharp

As the title suggested we made a beeline for King’s Cross Station and caught a couple of street shots as we fast-walked

We breezed past the Night Bus and headed in thru the entrance that we had seen in countless YouTube videos!

Such a grand reveal!

We weren’t messing around with shops and worked our way directly to the entrance to Gringotts and had our bags stowed in lockers and were entering the bank by 9:11am with a posted 20 minute wait. Love those chandeliers!

We had the lobby to ourselves so we took a quick minute to take in the lifelike tellers and the “big guy”

Then on down the hallways

Love those living newspapers

Such great names

I would like to see these guys go into battle!

It is a bummer that we didn’t get a pre-show, but having no line made up for it

Elevators open also breaks the illusion a bit, but again, we had it all to ourselves

Whispers behind doors

And then we were lined up ready to get on the ride

While we were there Jinx saw a guy who could have been his brother, we all commented on it. Then we boarded with an attendant waving us on – 19 minutes thru the queue and onto the ride, but some of that was us stopping to take pictures and look at everything

Great ride, lots going on and lots of interactive 3D action. And I had heard people complain that it was too short – I thought it was a decent length ride. But then again, I didn’t wait 2hrs to ride it! And when we got off we decided to go right back in. This time we zoomed thru and were back outside in under 12 minutes! And as a bonus the guy Jinx saw earlier was outside the queue. His name was Kyle and we gave Jinx a little prodding and he got up the nerve to say “hi” to him and get a picture with him

Next up – Diagon Wanderings

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 25 – Diagon Wanderings


At this point the kiddos wanted to get interactive wands, so we split off. Since we hurried thru the entrance when we first came in we headed back that way and took a shot of it and got one of Roxy coming in

And I had to get a shot of a wizard in training coming in

And then I heard the grumbling of the Ukrainian Ironbelly on top of Gringotts

Ironbelly Breathing Flames Video

Afterwards Roxy and I split up as she was on the hunt for the elusive Hot Butterbeer. I came back around the corner and ran back into Jinx and PumpkinGirl who were working their wand magic. I got a picture of them on Hagrid’s motorcycle

I looked around a bit and then the Ironbelly started rumbling again

Yes Another Ironbelly Breathing Flames Video

I then met back up with Roxy, as she had found the elusive beverage and was in line for it at The Hopping Pot. I took a couple of shots at the metalsmith shop. Quite the gargantuan armor!

I also love the irony of the Phoenix Fire Fighters logo

Back in line with her and then I did the “hover” for a table. She got her hot butterbeer and I got a Dragon Scale along with a pumpkin pastie and two other treats

While we were enjoying our food and drinks we’ll tune into magical wand wonderment! They made it rain

Got the clocks turning

The classic Wingardium Leviosa

Some magic parchment

The scales do their thing

We had been seated adjacent to this fountain and kept waiting for someone to get hit, but nobody did despite some close calls. The kiddos also managed to stay dry

Rebuild that armor!

Next up – All the HP-Themed Merch You Can Handle!

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 26 – All the HP-Themed Merch You Can Handle!


All of that spellcasting made them hungry, so it was time to hit the candy shop. PumpkinGirl found lots of things that caught her eye!

And then on to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes – brace yourself for all the jokey, gadgety goodness!

And finally out the door

They then walked around taking in some of the high points that Diagon Alley had to offer

Next up – Embracing Our Slytherin in Knockturn Alley

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 27 – Embracing Our Slytherin in Knockturn Alley


Some places we wish we could just walk in and check out

But there were still plenty of shops that you could

While they explored we had finished up our goodies and decided to take a trip into the wonderous gloom of Knockturn Alley

Not an easy place to take pictures in, but I did my best

So many great skulls

The shrunken head choir was a real kick!

Shrunken Choir Singing Video

And we finally got to peruse Borgin and Burkes!

Watch out for the baddies

Even more great skulls

Watch out for the Hand of Glory!

The Vanishing Cabinet was pretty awesome

Rumbling Trunk Video

I couldn’t pull off a Deatheater Mask unless they have one that works well with a beard

Look at the cranium on this guy!

And this is just a big’un!

As we were coming out of the shop we ran into Jinx, who was working with a wizard to make those shrunken heads croon!

A couple of videos of their singing prowess:

Singing Heads Video Music Edit

Singing Heads Video #2

Back out in the daylight we witness one more magnificent fire-breathing encounter

Next up – Exiting Diagon, Night Bus Fun, and on to the Hogwart’s Express

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 28 – Exiting Diagon, Night Bus Fun, and on to Kings Cross


I grabbed one more beer at the Fountain of Fair Fortune

And then went across the way to the Magical Menagerie and snapped a couple of quick pics

By now it was 11:15am and we decided we better get moving if we are going to enjoy some more fun. We met up with the kiddos near the entrance and started to head out

Nice when you can get a shot at the entrance with no other traffic, aye PumpkinGirl?

We move on to the Night Bus – I have a video that is about 2:45 in length and opens up with some comparisons between me and ole St. Nick and then moves on to a great interaction with Jinx and PumpkinGirl:

Night Bus Dre Interaction Video

Then some pictures with him and Alex the Night Bus Driver

Then we made out way into Kings Cross Station

The queue was completely empty up to that point and we kept on moving, finally stalling out right next to the Christmas Tree

Roxy and I took the opportunity for a good hug (with a leggings showcase)

Then of course back into phones ;D

Next up – From the Muggle World to Nine and Three-Quarters!

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 29 – From the Muggle World to Nine and Three-Quarters!


The line started moving again so we continued on our way thru Kings Cross. Soon enough we were at a certain magical opening between platforms.

Jinx went thru first

Then PumpkinGirl

And then me

Another of PumpkinGirl at the entrance

And then we were thru to, free of the muggle world and onto a world of wonder, owls and all!

The station was empty at the moment, but still very grand

As Roxy took some pictures of me the Hogwarts Express came chugging in

Hogwarts Express Entering the Station Video

Hogwarts Express Engine Coming to a Halt Video


So great to see that grand engine up close and to ride a train with the Magic Kingdom's trains being down.

The line kept moving us forward thru the station

A quick stop for Jinx and PumpkinGirl with the platform in the background

And then working our way between the platform signs – brace yourselves for lots of 9 ¾ shots!

And a Station Attendant was nice enough to take my phone and snap a shot of the whole fam. In normal times such a small gesture, but one made so much bigger given the current COVID environment.

There was of course a anti-bacterial pump nearby so all parties could keep those germs at bay.

Next up – A Ride to Hogsmeade and Thru it to Points Beyond

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 30 – A Ride to Hogsmeade and Thru it to Points Beyond


Soon enough it is boarding time for our first journey on the Hogwarts Express! It was cool to have a car to ourselves

Soon we set off

Journey on the Hogwarts Express Video

In a mere 8 minutes we were disembarking from the train

We took some time to get some shots by the engine

Off it goes again

We headed down thru the exit and on into Hogsmeade, and surprise surprise – there is the Hogwarts Express again!

PumpkinGirl with Hogsmeade bustling in the background

Jinx and I with Hogsmeade and the Express

PumpkinGirl got a couple of good selfies with the Express and its Conductor

The village looks pretty crowded as you look up the street, but people did a decent job of staying in little pods

Were we trying for a ride? Were we checking out the shops? Were we foraging for food or drink? Nope! We were focused on getting to a restroom. So we all had a pit stop and listened to Moaning Myrtle talk away. Afterwards I got a couple of good shots of Roxy and PumpkinGirl outside

From there we were leaving the Wizarding World with plans to return on another one of our Universal days. But we had to get the obligatory shots of Hogwarts Castle on our way out

Next up – Jurassic Grub, A Kong Encounter, and we Enter the Splash Zone

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 31 – Jurassic Grub, A Kong Encounter, and we Enter the Splash Zone


It was sad to tear thru Hogsmeade so fast, but we knew we’d be back on another Universal day. We were actually hungry as it was 12:30pm by this time. But we also wanted to just stick to simple burger fare so what better than the Burger Digs. So we headed that way and got our mobile order going – bacon cheeseburgers all around!

While we waited I got a quick shot of PumpkinGirl in front of the Jurassic Jeep and T-Rex

It was 20 minutes to get our seat, and it was a good one right on the rail with this character

Us selfie types had to get a pic with him

Honestly the burgers were pretty blah but they filled us up. Afterwards Jinx shopped for an over-the-shoulder satchel in the gift shop, where I took a shot of this menacing girl

We then continued down towards Kong, another ride we would be enjoying for the first time. It was one we were planning to hit it before starting our main afternoon endeavor, which I will go into shortly. On our way down I stopped to snap a shot of the new coaster entrance still closed and under construction

Then Kong was in sight

The sun was in the background of the entrance, causing either the sky to be overblown or the Kong head completely in shadow. So for this one I broke out my PhotoShop skills and layered in to create this slightly mystical shot

On into the queue!

You can never have enough skulls!

Smile!

The Priestess room was quite a sight

And she is quite the looker

He’s not having much fun

Could you imaging the size of fish you could catch with that worm as bait?

One last bit of theming

All aboard!

It was a pretty cool ride overall with good vehicle effects and 3D surround. And it was great to see the Kong head in all its glory at the end. As usual the only issue was our masks causing the 3D glasses to fog up. After the ride it was time for the family to hit a restroom and do a costume change. Up to that point we had been in Harry Potter-styled gear. Now it was time to put on something a bit lighter and water compatible.

That’s right, we were going to hit the big 3 water rides on the Islands – Jurassic Park, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, and Bluto’s Bilge Rats! The kiddos and I had done this back in the day in 2012 with water-logged results and no clothes to change into. We would not repeat this mistake. So off we went on our first stop – Jurassic Park!

One of the few rides you can go on with no mask - smile big everyone!

Front row all the way!

We only rode it once as the wait time was over 30 minutes and we knew we could get more bang for our buck on Toon Lagoon.

Next up – A Good Soaking, Evening Comes and on to Classic Thrills

 

[alohamom]

I cannot thank you enough for all the cool shots of the Diagon Alley side at Universal. We have been to Hogsmede (and LOVED it) but not to the other side yet.
Your pics have convinced me that we need to go!

 

[mnmrmustard]

I cannot thank you enough for all the cool shots of the Diagon Alley side at Universal. We have been to Hogsmede (and LOVED it) but not to the other side yet.
Your pics have convinced me that we need to go!

You're very welcome and oh yes, you need to go! We were in the exact same circumstance having been to Hogsmeade but not Diagon Alley/Knockturn Alley/Kings Cross Station ...and of course the Night Bus. It was all just so immersive and fun

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 32 – A Good Soaking, Evening Comes and on to Classic Thrills


With the first stop in the “let’s get soaked!” challenge completed, we left the Jurassic area. As I mentioned in the last chapter, the kids and I had done this bit back in 2012 with this being the result

We had a great time but had no towels or change of clothes. Those big walk-in dryers don’t really do much other than warm up your wet clothes while they are running. We wrung out what we could in the bathroom but it was a cold and clammy end to the day.

So we came prepared as we strolled into Toon Lagoon. The first thing we saw was the splash zone of Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

You could see that there weren’t many brave souls out there as this video shows an empty log going down

Ripsaw Falls Log Splash Video

We worked our way around and shoved our belongings into lockers and headed around to the entrance

We rode it twice in a row and it was a blast – still my favorite log ride, even over Splash Mountain. It just has a slightly stronger feeling of danger to it and a steeper drop than Splash, which amps up the thrill level! Also, Roxy hadn’t gone on it last time so was totally caught by surprise when someone on the bridge above started squirting us at the end of the ride

That was enough for Roxy and I, but PumpkinGirl and Jinx had to give it one more go!

From there it was on to Bluto’s Bilge Rats Barges. That one has no ride photos and our phones were of course packed away in the lockers. But we got our own barge and got to ride it 3 times in a row without getting out!!!

And here’s the result – a bunch of drowned rats for sure, but happy ones!

We retrieved our bags from the lockers and I took a quick snap of Aesop and son

Along with a change of clothes each of us had a microfiber beach towel that fit into a 6” x 6” pouch that Roxy found online - score! Drying off in a bathroom stall was a bit of an undertaking, but the towels worked amazingly well and it felt so good to get back into our dry clothes and shoes!!!

When we came out evening was coming on – edging on 5:30pm. Ripsaw Falls and the Toon Lagoon shops we coming alight. Crowd levels were very low so it made for some great shots.

We then had to fulfill a new tradition from that 2012 trip, hitting Spider Man after the water rides! One big reason is that part in the ride where you get blasted with heat, always feels good in the evening when it is getting cooler. It was posted at a 40 minute wait, probably the longest of the day. But the queue spacing still created opportunities where it looked empty

Where are all the reporters?

J. Jonah Jameson always thinks highly of himself

And is always giving Peter Parker grief

And despite the 40 minute posted wait time we were on the ride in under 30. The ride was always ahead of its time and is still one we love. Although we were a bit bummed that the flame/heat effect was turned off for some reason so we didn’t get our toasty warm feeling from it.

With the ride completed we saw the time was just after 6pm with a park closing time of 7pm. So after discussion we decided to walk around to Seuss Landing to knock out the rides there to check them off our rides list and not worry about them on our other Universal days.

Next up – A Christmasey Seussical End to our Day

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 33 – A Christmasey Seussical End to our Day


Still one of the best Christmas-themed lands in Orlando in my eyes

One more quick bathroom break and we were on the Cat in the Hat, which had a whopping 10 minute wait, which basically meant walk-on

This ride is a tough one to get pic on due to all the spinning, but I still managed a few!

We skipped One Fish, Two Fish just as we had Dumbo at MK, just not our thing as a family. Same with the Caro-Seuss-el. So that left the High in the Sky Seuss Trolly Train Ride.

Unfortunately it was coming up on 7pm so everyone else in the Landing had the same idea, making this a solid 30 minute wait on a queue that seems to be all uphill with nowhere to sit.

Still, you can’t argue the view it gives you once you are on it.

Away we go

View of Islands from Trolly Train Ride Video

Trolly Train Ride Video #2

On our way out I attempted to get a shot of the old man of the Lost Continent

Things were winding down, but the shops were of course still open. Roxy and I purchased several goodies here as did PumpkinGirl

More awesome Seussian Christmas decorations

The Caro-Seuss-el was shut down so I was able to get a cool shot of the ride characters

We worked out way out, crossing under the arch and on thru CityWalk

We caught our Lyft at 7:45pm and made out way back with a quick pit stop to pick up pizza for dinner. We ate, got cleaned up and ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to a big day which thankfully started with sleeping in! That’s right, we were hitting EPCOT which didn’t open until 11am.

It was to be our “Dapper Day/Jinx’s 21st Birthday Drink around World Showcase" event. There would be fun, good food and drinks, surprises, and a big oops on my part. Tune in next time to see how it all panned out!

Next up – The Dapper Birthday EPCOT Walkabout Begins!

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 34 – The Dapper Birthday EPCOT Walkabout Begins!


Saturday December 5th brought us to the big Dapper Day at EPCOT. The park was due to open at 11am and we were up and around sometime after 9am. We onboarded coffee and such and got ourselves dappered up and out the door by 10:25am.

I was wearing my good kicks with some epic Christmas sweater socks as this accidental shot of the floorboard in the Lyft

Ten minutes later we were rolling thru the main gate. I wanted to get at least one shot of it.

Our Lyft driver was nice and drop off went well, putting us on approach to everyone’s favorite giant golf ball by 10:45am!

Right off the bat we had to hit the PhotoPass queue to show off our slick threads, starting with our birthday boy Jinx and PumpkinGirl.

And then Roxy and I.

And then of course the whole fam!

We had decided early on that we were only going to hit the right side of Future World – if Test Track or Mission: Space were going to happen it would be at the end of the evening.

So, we made a bee line to the Land Pavilion and Soarin’ and were in the queue by 11am sharp!

And 20 minutes later we were settled in for our flight as pictured by Roxy and PumpkinGirl.

With our “E Ticket” ride out of the way we needed a restroom stop. Do love the theming in this pavilion!

With pit stops complete we headed back outdoors …sorry Living with the Land, some other trip. Hi PumpkinGirl!

We had decided our next stop would be The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

Next Up - Bruce, Canucks, and Holiday Festival Goodness

 

[mnmrmustard]

Chapter 35 – Bruce, Canucks, and Holiday Festival Goodness


As you saw from the last pic in Chapter 34, Jinx and PumpkinGirl were standing in front of ole Bruce. On our way out I had to at least get a shot with them in front of him. What a bummer that we couldn’t get closer – here are the callbacks from 2012

And way back in 2008!

Ahhh, the memories! Now back to the present we had decided to try for a little Figment time, but we strolled over to see that it had a 45-minute wait! So instead we moved on and I took a selfie with the next best thing.

So now it was on to the main event – World Showcace! We had decided to go counter-clockwise, the logic being that the cavalcades were going clockwise so we would have a better chance of seeing them. Spoiler alert – we didn’t see a single one the whole day!

Canada was our first stop with these musical gents

Click here to watch a video of them

We listened for a bit and then headed into the World Showcase Pavilion to get some Festival of the Holidays goodies and drinks. We started by staying hi to this snowy big guy.

Quite the setup in here for sure.

Then we were greeted by some menu goodness.

I chose a lager and the duck

The beer was good, the duck was amazing! And we had some great piano serenading happening while we ate and drank.
Click here to watch a video of him

When we finished eating and our first round of drinks, I headed over to check out the one and only gingerbread creation we were going to get to experience this holiday season. It was an epic one covering the Capital Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. Get ready for multiple angles of star-spangled gingerbread architectural goodness!

As I finished up and met back up with the fam a musical group came out to entertain us.
Click here for video

Next Up - London Imbibition and a Poutine Fix

 

[mnmrmustard]

Looks like the revamp of the TR isn't sparking any interest. I'll give it another few days and then shut it down and have it moved to completed TRs as is.

 

[AusAnnie]

Looks like the revamp of the TR isn't sparking any interest. I'll give it another few days and then shut it down and have it moved to completed TRs as is.

I've just read the whole thing and it's great! I'd be interested in seeing more