Florida 2011: Day 5: Universal Studios
Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Florida!
First, breakfast at Jack and Mary's, a little diner nearby. Not bad. Again nothing fancy or even great, but not bad. Then off to Universal Studios, where admission is up to $120 for a 1-day park-hopper pass. Ouch.
It's almost worth it, though. The long line, heat, humidity, and blinding sun all suck, but the ride inside Harry Potter World's Hogwart's Castle is impressive as it literally flies riders through the world of Harry Potter. Inside is neat, too, with the sorting hat and areas from the movie. The rest of the "world" is somewhat smaller than expected, although butter beer (cream soda and ice cream?) is a necessary part of the experience! (and the wait...)
Lunch at Bubba Gump to get out of the heat, then off to the Universal Studios side for Shrek 4D, Terminator 2 3D, Simpsons, Men In Black (MIB), Revenge of the Mummy, and a few other rides/shows. They had an area set very much like a 60s era movie set with Back to the Future that was kinda cool.
Back to the Island Adventures side afterwards for Spidermand and Rip Saw Rapids (holy crap we got soaked), and to wander some more of the "lands". Spiderman in particular feels like an early alpha version of Hogwarts Castle! Dinner afterwards at Margaritaville, a glimpse of fireworks at 9pm, and then Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon in 3D. A long exciting day! Alicia probably enjoyed it the most out of everyone as she loves theme parks and doesn't die in the heat like the rest of us!
Not to mention the 3 or 4 liters of water each in the heat!