It wasn’t until a few seconds before they opened the doors to let us on the ride that I knew I was in trouble. The five of us had waited 45 minutes or so in line. In fact, that was before getting into another line before being shepherded into the … Read More
As a long-time Harry Potter fan, there’s not much that gets me quite as excited as seeing the magical wizarding world come to life. As a teen, I often attended midnight releases of both films and books. I visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal as soon as … Read More
My guy was hot. Not literally, I suppose, since he was dripping, soaking wet. However, he was angry. In fact, very angry. My family had decided to beat the heat with one of the water rides at Universal Studios Florida. Popeye’s & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges in Toon Lagoon at Universal’s … Read More
There’s a certain level of science to planning your theme park trip. And also to be able to adjust that plan once your feet are on the ground. For me, it begins weeks out. I log on to the various apps and monitor the ebb and flow of wait times. … Read More
The Universal Orlando Resort is known for big rides. In fact, at Volcano Bay waterpark and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, many of the thrill rides and coasters are designed for older kids and adults. When you’re visiting these parks with young kids, it’s helpful to have an idea … Read More
I was born to wing it. I’m typically at my best when motivated by the crushing pressure of having to succeed or face the humiliation of abject failure. Given time to perform a project, I will procrastinate, get distracted and do anything other than the job at hand. I’m a … Read More
I made it a surprising number of years on this planet without ever realizing that themed matching family shirts during amusement park vacations was a thing. Sure, I’d seen families in color-coded shirts before. But I had always assumed it was for practical purposes, like quickly spotting each other in … Read More
In honor of Theodor Suess Geisel, I thought about writing this in rhyme. Spoiler alert: I made it about three lines, deleted it and started over. That rhyming business is tricky. In fairness to me, Dr. Seuss – aka Theodor Geisel – made up a lot of words whenever he … Read More
The internet is a magnificent tool, offering all the knowledge of the library of Alexandria at our fingertips. We can use it to reach across the world, to share news and information and entertainment. On the internet, we can explore new worlds, hobbies and learn about places we will likely … Read More
When Universal Studios decided to transport a mythical English magic school from the Harry Potter series to the searing heat of Universal Studios Florida, proper immersion was an issue. How could they give a guest the feeling of being transported to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter when they were … Read More