Islands Of Adventure

Wednesday 27th October

On my plan today, I had another rest & relaxation day pencilled in. I thought that getting out of a theme park at midnight would be enough, but no, the troops decided otherwise (which was OK by me).

We chose to go back to Islands of Adventure to see Mr Potter :O)

It was extremely hot so getting soaked to the skin on the Popeye & Blutos Bilge Rat Barges & Dudley Dorights Rip Saw Falls was no problem.

We walked into the Jurassic Park area where the 3 brave ones rode the River Adventure. Again I chickened out because of the 85ft plunge at the end :O)

Well someone has to make sure the camera doesn't get wet!

Then it was back into the Wonderful World of Harry Potter, my favourite place in the whole of Universal.

The queue for Olivander's Wand Shop was quite small so we got in line. They only allow about 20 people in the shop at anyone time. It was (for me) the best place in the whole park. It was just magical (and much darker in side than the photo shows). The only thing that could have made it better was he could have picked one of us instead of the lad he did pick lol. It was definitely worth queueing up for. Olivander gave the lad 3 or 4 wands to try as everyone knows the wand chooses it's owner & not the other way round! Different things happened when he tried out his wand until eventually the right wand was found. It was brilliant :O)

Andrew & the girls wanted to go back to Hogwarts Castle & ride the Forbidden Journey. I wandered round the castle taking photos. The hall with the living oil paintings was fantastic with Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin & Godric Gryffindor all talking to each other.

The best was the entance to the Gryffindor Common Room where there was a huge painting of the Fat Lady (Dawn French) talking to you. The attention to detail is really amazing.

Outside the castle is the Flight of the Hipogriff ride.

And near the toilets where Moaning Mirtle lives, an ATM machine.

By this time we were getting really thirsty so decided on Butterbeers in the Three Broom Sticks/ Hogs Head Pub.

We walked round the quaint little shops again.

It's amazing how much more you see when you look again.

We loved it :O)

Just outside Hogsmede in the Lost Continent is the Mystic Fountain. It was hilarious to watch. Someone's either inside it or watching (and listening) somewhere nearby. It spoke to everyone who went past & tried it's hardest to wet them through. Just youtube it, it's so funny.

The next part of Islands of Adventure is Suess Land where The Grinch & The Cat in the Hat hang out.

We rode some of the kiddie rides which was amusing and then called into the Christmas Shop at the entrance. After a few photos with the props laying around outside the shops

we walked to the Hard Rock Cafe.

Gemma just couldn't decide what she wanted to drink & Andrew couldn't decide what pudding he wanted to try :O)

Luckily me & Elena new exactly what we were having.

I had the most fantastic salad I have ever tasted in my whole life. Amongst the leaves (smothered in a citrus dressing) were sultanas, cranberries, orange segments, pecan nuts, blue cheese & chicken. My mouth is watering at just the thougt of it :O)

Weather ... 32 degrees & sunny OMG how lucky are we!