Disney...Day 6

This day should really be entitled Universal...Day 1, but I decided to stick with the theme. This was the moment the boys had been waiting for...drum roll, please...HARRY POTTER! This was their first visit to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure (Russ and I had not been since 1997!). This was a whole new territory for all of us.

Posing in front of the Hogwarts castle. The Harry Potter area was very impressive. Well done, Universal, you got the Galbraith fam stamp of approval.

BUTTER BEER! Woo-hoo! The Galbraith boys' official review: Definitely order the FROZEN! Waaaayyyyy better than "on the rocks!"

Inside the Great Hall with all the talking paintings. Our driver told us that the line for the Forbidden Journey (the main Harry Potter ride, there are 3 rides total) averages a 4-hour wait in the summer. We were able to ride twice in 30 minutes. While I'm certainly not complaining, we did zip past all the "visuals" set out to entertain you in line. The Great Hall being one of them.

I now present...the Sorting Hat. We think they should have an attraction where the Sorting Hat actually chooses your house for you. Both of my boys would want Gryffindor!

The moment Carter had been waiting for for 6 long months...choosing his wand in Olivander's Wand Shop. It was a tough decision, I tell you! Did he want Harry's wand or his birth month wand? In the end, he decided that his wand had chosen him...he went with the September wand.

Three boys outside of The Three Broomsticks...our lunch destination.

Posing with the conductor in front of the Hogwarts Express.

The boys were in Harry Potter heaven inside of Honeydukes, home of the famous chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

All the equipment necessary for a good game of Quidditch.

The biggest chocolate frog ever!

Zonko's was the go-to-store for all your practical jokes needs. Alex claimed he had "always wanted a pair of chattering teeth." I mean, really, don't we all? They are conspiring at the check-out line on the best way to put them to good use!

Just a cool shot!

The butter beer was flowing in Hogsmeade. You can buy it from a street car...

...or saddle up to a bar!

Bottoms up!

The Dueling Dragons roller coaster. Alex and I opted out of the first round, but were peer pressured into round two. I'm glad we caved! It was a ton of fun!

Russ chomping down on the meat feast at lunch. I think this was made for Hagrid!

Wizard #1

Wizard #2

After exiting the town of Hogsmeade, we decided to see what the rest of the park had to offer. In our humble opinion, not very much. Harry Potter was incredible and we are so glad the boys got the experience; however, the rest of the park seemed a bit dated and more like Six Flags on steroids. Then again, maybe we're just Disney freaks...and it sure wasn't Disney! You don't see dinosaurs trying to attack your children in the Magic Kingdom :)

Carter posing with his favorite ride, The Incredible Hulk roller coaster. For some reason, the spiders on The Forbidden Journey freaked him out, but a double looper roller coaster with 10 story plunges...NO PROBLEM!

Another thing you don't see at Disney! The Green Goblin!

Another thrill ride conquered by Carter "No Fear" Galbraith!

They had a section of the park that was modeled after the Sunday comics. It was kind of old school and definitely appealed to me more than "Fear Fall" and men in demon costumes!

John bought this hat at the Animal Kingdom and proceeded to wear it for the rest of the week. Carter nicknamed him Pappy because he thought it made him look "like an older gentleman"! We couldn't resist posing in front of "Poop Deck Pappy's Popcorn."

I couldn't get this picture to turn for the blog, so you'll have to tilt your head! Isn't it cute?

Hang 10, baby!

Since we had been using the Disney transportation system, we had to hire a driver to transport us to Universal and back to our Disney hotel. This was our driver, AMY. Yes, AMY! HE was from Haiti and we were all fascinated, as we had never met a man named Amy! He was super nice and chock full of Orlando tidbits. The ride was far too short!

Since we were on the Disney dining plan, we headed to Downtown Disney for dinner at Wolfgang Pucks. We had some time to kill before our reservation so we wandered the Boardwalk and bought a few souvenirs...and posed with the Lego Buzz!

We encountered this "statue" on our way to the restaurant. It was actually a real lady that would grab your hair or peck your shoulder when you posed with her. It was a little freaky...a bit too freaky for Carter "No Fear" Galbraith. He refused to turn his back to her!