11-20-2011, 10:56 AM
I hadn't thought that until being at KSC, but it would be amazing to witness firsthand. On the tour, they showed us where the media and public attends launches. Looks like quite a party. And I did see two gators on the way there too. One was really big. There was a mini-golf place next to the iHop next to our hotel that had live gators - what a great obstacle!
Actually, given the most of FL is only a few feet above sea level, I can foresee it looking like Thailand soon. So much for all that Mormon land.
Anyway, Monday we returned to Hogwarts. It was much less crowded. The employees seemed tired and relieved. We rode all the rides, saw all the shows and shops, and got souvenirs. Universal has it's own line of Harry products only available there. Tara got a Ravenclaw scraf, sans house patch, and a Thestral shirt. I got a Chinese Fireball hat, which I love as much as my new Guinness hat. We drank a lot of butterbeer, which is a cream soda on steroids with whipped cream on top - quite tasty actually, especially if you get a frozen one, which is like an Icee. It was really fun to drink with Tara at the Hogshead porch, which offers a great view of Hogwarts, her with her butterbeer, me with my Guinness. We got a free pumpkin juice, which was like pumpkin pie soda (stick with the butterbeer). We ate at the Three Broomsticks, which makes a decent bbq corn on the cob, baked potato and mac & cheese (the rest is pseudo English food veg-unfriendly).
We only left Harry's area once to do the water rides in Toon Lagoon. There are two, themed on Popeye and Dudley Do-right, neither of which Tara was very familiar. In fact, even thos she reads manga and comics daily, most of the cartoons in Toon Lagoon her outside her experience - Pogo, Beetle Bailey, Betty Boop. Anyway, the rides were ridiculously wet - which is surely nice in the summer. There were sections that took you straight under waterfalls and where bystanders could shoot you with water cannons. After those two rides, I was as wet as if i'd jumped in a pool. There were these $5 full-body blow-dryers, but being generally cheap, I just let the sun do the work.
I'm still humming that Harry Potter theme. The park is small, but the best of its kind. Star Tours is just one ride at Disney. The Star Trek Experience in Vegas is very good, but again, just one ride (and a pretty cool casino). Like I said earlier, Universal could modify Sindbad and Lost Continent to expand it. The escape from Gringott's is a perfect ride. The Lost Continent show was silly, but could be very easily converted to the Chamber of Secrets with just a few cosmetic changes. Harry is huge in Orlando, outshining the mouse, orcas and Jesus as far as theme park mascots.
That night, we found an amazing traditional Ethiopian restaurant. I spotted it, which was my one victory over Stacy's all-knowing iPhone. At last, some good food, nutritious, delicious and at a reasonable price.
Tara took a lot of photos. She got a new camera for her birthday. I may post some here later.
Actually, given the most of FL is only a few feet above sea level, I can foresee it looking like Thailand soon. So much for all that Mormon land.
Anyway, Monday we returned to Hogwarts. It was much less crowded. The employees seemed tired and relieved. We rode all the rides, saw all the shows and shops, and got souvenirs. Universal has it's own line of Harry products only available there. Tara got a Ravenclaw scraf, sans house patch, and a Thestral shirt. I got a Chinese Fireball hat, which I love as much as my new Guinness hat. We drank a lot of butterbeer, which is a cream soda on steroids with whipped cream on top - quite tasty actually, especially if you get a frozen one, which is like an Icee. It was really fun to drink with Tara at the Hogshead porch, which offers a great view of Hogwarts, her with her butterbeer, me with my Guinness. We got a free pumpkin juice, which was like pumpkin pie soda (stick with the butterbeer). We ate at the Three Broomsticks, which makes a decent bbq corn on the cob, baked potato and mac & cheese (the rest is pseudo English food veg-unfriendly).
We only left Harry's area once to do the water rides in Toon Lagoon. There are two, themed on Popeye and Dudley Do-right, neither of which Tara was very familiar. In fact, even thos she reads manga and comics daily, most of the cartoons in Toon Lagoon her outside her experience - Pogo, Beetle Bailey, Betty Boop. Anyway, the rides were ridiculously wet - which is surely nice in the summer. There were sections that took you straight under waterfalls and where bystanders could shoot you with water cannons. After those two rides, I was as wet as if i'd jumped in a pool. There were these $5 full-body blow-dryers, but being generally cheap, I just let the sun do the work.
I'm still humming that Harry Potter theme. The park is small, but the best of its kind. Star Tours is just one ride at Disney. The Star Trek Experience in Vegas is very good, but again, just one ride (and a pretty cool casino). Like I said earlier, Universal could modify Sindbad and Lost Continent to expand it. The escape from Gringott's is a perfect ride. The Lost Continent show was silly, but could be very easily converted to the Chamber of Secrets with just a few cosmetic changes. Harry is huge in Orlando, outshining the mouse, orcas and Jesus as far as theme park mascots.
That night, we found an amazing traditional Ethiopian restaurant. I spotted it, which was my one victory over Stacy's all-knowing iPhone. At last, some good food, nutritious, delicious and at a reasonable price.
Tara took a lot of photos. She got a new camera for her birthday. I may post some here later.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse