We made it to Sunday! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was calling our names so our butts were up early. It was the longest wait we had the entire trip for the bus, since this attraction is just so popular. But I really can't complain about a 15 minute wait, right?!
Upon arrival back to the park, we decided to start off at Hogsmeade, which is in the Islands of Adventure. It was a seriously long walk to get there, but we thought we could start off there, ride a ride or two, get some wands at Ollivanders, and then ride the Hogworts Express to Universal Studios to Diagon Alley.
Good choice!
We walked right up to Hogwarts, which does not allow the Express Pass.
The hour early entrance was eaten up by waiting in this line. We waited almost 45 minutes...by far the longest wait time. The kids were not excited to go on this ride, but one of the workers assured us that this was not a rollercoaster. It was just a simulation. Simulation? It was very very real.
The kids kept their eyes closed through most of it. We were hanging there and I just kept thinking about how I should have worn tennis shoes that day because I felt my flip flops slipping off. I was squeezing my toes for dear life! But it was a fun ride!
Then we grabbed some $4 waters because it was so freaking hot at 9am and got in line to go into Ollivanders for some wands. Oh this was so cool.
We weren't able to take pictures inside as the wands chose the children, but it was cool. And I don't even like Harry Potter. My kids ended up with 2 interactive wands... at $50 a piece...but it was the thing that the boys wanted most.
Jansen ended up with the Wand of Hazel...
And Caleb ended up with the Wand of Hawthorn...
I would highly recommend the interactive wands for just about $10 more than the regular wands because it comes with a map of the park and shows places with golden medallions where the kids can practice their spells to make things move.
The kids loved it. It was like a treasure hunt. Some of the wand movements were a little tricky but with practice, the kids got it and were really happy with the results!
We rode the Hogwort's Express, which was so cool.
We had our own train compartment and the windows were holographic so it was like a ride in itself. I would have taken pictures of that but for some reason, my phone crashed as we got on and took about 30 minutes to come back to life. I was scared for a minute.
Once at Diagon Alley, we found more medallions to cast more spells.
It was so packed, and the kids were over riding rides so we were finished there by 11am.
As we made our way back to the front, Josh asked if we wanted to grab a bite to eat before we left.
Um, yes!
We ate at the Cowfish...and we all loved it. I got sushi, which was delicious, and everyone else got burgers. It was nice to sit in the air conditioning and enjoy a meal.
It started raining again just as we were leaving, but thankfully we didn't get stuck in it.
The boys and I went back to go swimming, relax by the pool a little, and enjoy the afternoon once the rain cleared. It was great!
That night was our big surprise for the kids. Several years ago, we took a trip to Dallas and took the boys to Medieval Times. It was, by far, their favorite experience. Florida has a Medieval Times in Kissimmee, so we got tickets and didn't tell them. We drove for almost an hour out there, and when we turned into the castle parking lot, the kids started cheering!
The boys picked out flags to support the red and yellow knight and each picked out a weapon. What is better for a boy than a weapon....nothing!
Jansen was just beside himself!
I'm telling you. I am totally an adult but I LOVED it.
The food was awesome and the show was so entertaining.
At one point, our knight won one of the competitions and started to throw carnations into the audience. He threw one to me and it landed in my cleavage. That's how I roll!
It was the perfect way to end the day. Our knight made it to the finals but didn't win, unfortunately. So much fun!
Stay tuned for Monday's excitement!
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