Back to the Vacation

I know much of this blog space has been devoted to the Wizarding World as the story of our fall break vacation has been told, but props must still be given to the 'rest' of the park, as well as our venture to the Atlantic seaboard.  So little by little, post by post, let me tell the tale.

Here is The Hard Rock Hotel, which was our resting place for the first and most exhausting days of the vacation.  It was quite nice and comfortable-(and music-themed, how apropos)-with some great conveniences that I'll share later.  As this picture shows, the hotel was located on a waterway, used to transport people to Universal. 

 Although the Samours are 'people' we often bypassed the boat as we couldn't wait to get to our destination.  Not to mention we love opportunities for exercise!  So whether walking or 'on a boat' the scenery was enjoyable as you moved toward your destination.  Here is Spenser ready to lead us on the path to fantastic fun.

Look, even Sienna can't contain her excitement over her surroundings!  She doesn't even mind having to walk!

After the brisk walk we arrive at the park entrance and the well-known symbol of Universal, the spinning globe.  Behind the globe is Universal City Walk, a fun shopping and entertainment area outside of the two parks (you know - just in case the amusements weren't stimulating enough). 

At the globe one must either walk into Universal Studios, or walk further down to access Islands of Adventure.  I've covered much of the Islands, so now it's time to document our fun in Universal Studios.  This park is set up like mini towns and movie sets.  They still have the Jaws attraction, a classic, but have added newer/hipper rides. One such ride happened to be one of Spenser's favorites - The Mummy.  The Mummy is an indoor and dark roller-coaster ride, and yes a thrill-a-minute.  If you can believe it - MOMMY even rode THE MUMMY (2x)!

How convenient that outside of the mummy ride was the stage for a Blues Brothers tribute band.  Well Rob couldn't contain his excitement as the Blues Brothers is one of his favorite movies and a reminder of his and Pat Burke's friendship.  Another cool thing for Rob?  Dancing with his daughter to the Blues Brothers in Universal Studios on a dream vacation!  Here they are!  (You can see the blues brothers and the singing waitress just over Sienna's head)

Not far from this location was a daring challenge for the boys - the Rip Rock it!  The boys seemed to become braver with each day and I can't believe some of the rides they were riding.  Here they are on their way to ride the scariest coaster in the park.

Here they are posing for one more picture before boarding.  See that red rail dropping from the sky?  That soon will be their sled!

And here they are flying down it, leaving their stomachs at the top!  You can see Spenser and Rob at the top of the picture.

Here they are on the corkscrew after they come back up from the drop (Rob's head is the one you can see in the second car, first row).

It was quite a chore trying to snap these photos as they whizzed by, but hey I did it.  Sienna was up for riding most rides, just not this one or the Hulk in Islands of Adventure.  She's smart like mommy.  Or shall I say a scaredy cat like mommy.  Other rides that all or some of us rode were:  Twister, Jaws, the Simpsons, Shrek, and E.T.

While on the subject of scary roller-coasters, here is Rob and Spenser on the Hulk, located in Islands of Adventure.  They rode it early in the morning and were the only ones on it.  Rob is the one in the yellow shirt.

Here is another picture that shows the twists and turns the coaster takes.  Is that crazy or what?

This is the view I like - can you see why?

Okay, that ends the Hulk segway.  Now back to Universal Studios.

While the rest of the family was getting their kicks on rides, I was nursing a headache but still managed to have some fun.  Here I am with some celebrities in the park.

The minions from 'Despicable Me', and

Lisa, Homer, and Bart Simpson.



We were so tired one night leaving the parks that we did actually ride the boat.

To end this post I think it fitting to share some of the reasons why we loved our hotel.

Sunny pool by day,

awesome dive-in movie at night,

yummy ice cream shop in the lobby,

and guitars.........we love guitars!

Our vacation rocked at the Hard Rock!

Turkey Thursday

Don't ya just love Thanksgiving?  I certainly do.  Let me count the ways:  days off work/school, eating to your heart's content, favorite thanksgiving foods, Rob's cooking, Sienna and Spenser helping, kokopelli's white zinfandel, turkey leftovers, crosswords, and the kick-off of christmas decorating and shopping. 

Thanksgiving duties are left up to the pro, which in this instance is Rob.  He cooks up a mean turkey and stuffing, so I just sit back and let him do his thing.  As the kids have gotten older, they have enjoyed pitching in with cracking eggs, cubing bread, chopping celery, beating potatoes, and putting in as much butter as they can while mom isn't looking.  Here's some proof of all that.

So what do I do while they work?  Well other than making sure the house is clean, the Arizona Republic provides me with the highest in entertainment on such a momentous holiday.  They call it Crossword Cornucopia.  I call it mental stimulation and fun at its finest.

Now that's what I call a crossword.  It's so big it's quite unwieldy, but I enjoy the challenge.  It's not done yet, but I hope to finish it.  Let's just call it a work in progress.

Here we are ready to enjoy the fruits of their/our labor.  Another fine holiday celebrated with a much beloved family.  All that's missing is you!

11/11/11

The EPIC finale to the Harry Potter story came out on dvd today, and in our household that is big news.  So Sienna and I headed out early this morning to purchase one with smiles on our faces.  And wouldn't you know it that Hoda and Kathie Lee were broadcasting live from the Wizarding World in Orlando to celebrate the storied release?  Those ladies may not be my favorite but I enjoyed seeing them in Hogwart's robes posed right in front of the same gates we passed through a few weeks ago!  Even more exciting was the fact that several of the actors were there to commemorate the dvd release and pay tribute to the films.  The actors that played Ron Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Professor Flitwick, and Luna Lovegood were all in attendance, as well as David Heyman, the producer of all 8 films.  Oh well, I'll just have to settle for the fact that we reveled in that same location just a short time ago. But all this Deathly Hallows Part 2 dvd release talk reminded me that I've still got some Wizarding World blogs to finish.

I've already blogged about the rides and sights in the park and what's left to share are some pictures about what we (or I) couldn't resist buying.

Around Sienna's neck is a Gryffindor lanyard and in her hand is her wand from Ollivander's.  And below you will find - like daughter, like mother.

Other treats and trinkets included a Triwizarding Cup, chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts, a rain poncho, a Gryffindor hat, a polo (not pictured), postcards, and tumblers.  Sienna also got an authentic Hogwart's sweater and tie.

 

Here we are with Hogwarts in our hands!

If only we could fold it up, pack it into our suitcases, and bring it home to Arizona!

Trick or Treat

It may be Monday, but it's also Halloween, and that means it kind of feels like a party night, although sadly we must all go to work and school tomorrow.  But this holiday deserves some fun and libations, does it not?  We started our celebrating on Saturday night with a party at the Vandegriff household.  The boys did not go as Rob had racing and Spenser preferred to stay home.  So Lady Gaga and Miss Fender went off by themselves. 

Here is Sienna as a version of Lady Gaga's skeleton tuxedo lady.  You have to imagine Sienna's ponytail as blonde and her face made up skeleton style.  At least she's got the monster claws and grimace right!

I got this guitar costume last year on clearance.  A bargain that was made for me!

We had fun at the party.  The boys missed out.

On Halloween day, my school did their annual teacher costume contest, and I played Bella this year.  Here I am in my classroom with Edward and my good friend and fellow teacher, Ms. Gillette.

 The teachers also performed a flash mob to 'Thriller' in the courtyard as a surprise for the students.  It was fun!  There is a video of it on You Tube and Facebook.  It's not the best, but you get the idea.  Look for Bella in white and blue, front and center!

 Tee hee!  Now that's not something teachers do every day!


When it was time for trick-or-treating, Sienna was who you'd expect her to be -

a Hogwart's student!

And Spenser was a typical spooky-masked something!  Here he is lying in wait to scare his friends.

A few margaritas and beers, lots of candy, and lots of fun!  Another good Halloween.

The Forbidden Journey

Warning, if you are prone to motion sickness, do not get on this ride.  Can you imagine my anxiety after seeing this sign and contemplating whether or not to attempt it?  I had heard from a friend that after getting off the ride they witnessed several people vomiting in the exit corridors.  So then I started to wonder if I should ride it, in case I am one of those unlucky fools.  Sienna told me I should just go on it; even if I do throw up, no one knows me so it's no big deal.   I figured that as big a Harry Potter fan as I am, I didn't want to miss the experience that the ride would provide.  So I sucked it up as they say and rode it proudly with my family.  Thankfully I did so, because it was the most rewarding ride I've ever been on. 

First of all, just like 'Flight of the Hippogriff' and 'Dragon Challenge', standing in line is a treat not to be missed.  As you enter the gates of Hogwarts, enthusiastic young employees greet you,

and direct you to lock up your valuables (as they may fall out) and then get in line.

Along the way you pass Professor Sprout's greenhouse (for some reason I don't have a picture of that) and then you enter the halls of Hogwarts.

On the walls moving pictures greet you, and you visit the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom.

This is the room where Professor Lupin teaches the students to defend against their biggest fears, and to Harry that is the dementors.  This part of the plot can be found in The Prisoner of Azkaban, my favorite movie of the series. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione talk to you in the classroom as well, another cool feature.

A trip to Hogwarts wouldn't be complete without a visit to Professor Dumbledore's office.  It has a secret location, which begins at this Phoenix sculpture.

He speaks to you as well, from a videotron above.

To enter the Gryffindor common room, you must give the password to the fat lady.

She will let you pass as long as you have the right password, or if you listen to her sing badly.

One last important feature of waiting in line is seeing the Sorting Hat.  It talks too!

One final warning is offered before boarding the 4 person mechanical tram.  You get bolted in and begin to hear the Harry Potter theme.  Hermione talks to you and after casting a spell, you are off!  Floating, twisting, turning, flying, you are on top of the castle and take off on your broom to escape the dragon.  You fly with Harry as you play Quidditch and with him you face the Dementors and Aragog, the giant spider.  In the end you are the hero as the whole Gryffindor house salutes you upon your return. 

We rode 'The Forbidden Journey' three times, which shows our dedication to it, especially as it broke down twice.  I can't remember every aspect of it, but know that we all loved it.  After the first day we all agreed it was our favorite ride in all of Universal. 

Universal Day 2

After a long first day in the parks, almost 12 hours including dinner, we headed back to the Hard Rock to rest and recuperate.  Our goal remained to enter the park early every day, since that was a perk of our on-site hotel.  So Day 2 began much like Day 1, entering the Wizarding World. 

One of the first Harry Potter rides we got on was a small coaster called 'Flight of the Hippogriff.'  The Hippogriff's name is Buckbeak, a prominent creature in the book and movie, The Prisoner of Azkaban.  Harry appreciates animal creatures and befriends Buckbeak, who allows him to fly on his back.  Here is a picture of good ol' Buckbeak.

To entertain you while you wait, the line meanders past Hagrid's Hut, the home belonging to Hogwart's groundskeeper, professor of magical creatures, and mentor to Harry.

Here we are in front of the gentle giant's home.

Here is a picture we snapped of the castle while on the Hippogriff ride.

Another cool ride that the girls were not brave enough to tackle was 'The Dragon Challenge.'  The boys on the other hand rode them all.  Here they are in front of the gates.

In The Goblet of Fire, Harry along with 3 other contestants must defeat a dragon to continue on in the Triwizarding Tournament.  This ride is a feet hanging coaster with two separate tracks, hence two battling dragons.  Rob and Spenser rode both several times, and preferred the red one, or Chinese Fireball.  Here is that coaster.

Sienna and I did walk through the line to get on the Dragon Challenge because we didn't want to miss any decorative replica amusements, such as:

flags bearing the names of the competitors, and the infamous flying car of Ron's in The Chamber of Secrets. 

After riding it was time to attend our 9 am breakfast at The Three Broomsticks.

Here we are enjoying our English meal.

Here are a few more sights inside the restaurant.

After breakfast we headed out to the patio for a photo op.

One of the most loved treats in the Wizarding World is butterbeer.  It might sound gross but it tastes great, like a butterscotch milkshake!

The cup that Sienna is holding is of the frozen variety, and mine is more like a cream soda.

As you can see, spending the morning in the land of Harry Potter becomes us.  I've left out the best ride in the land, but that's because it may warrant it's own posting.  So I'll save that one for next time.