This last post will encompass what may have been our favorite time/favorite place of the trip. It's hard to say for sure, because the whole trip was great, but Universal Studios held a special place in our heart courtesy of Harry Potter World. It was, as Ron Weasley would say, Brilliant. Everything about Hogsmeade felt so authentic, it really did feel as though you'd slipped right into a world of witches and wizards. I wish the one in California also had Diagon Alley, but we enjoyed what we had.
One of the first places we went was to Ollivander's, to check out the wands. We got in line for a wand ceremony, and were delighted when Danyn was the one chosen to try out several wands. She managed to kill some plants with one, make it snow with another, until they finally found the one meant for her.
It was a cool moment, and a very special memory for Danyn. She ended up buying that very wand. We headed into the shop after that, and all the kids (and myself) chose a wand that they liked.
There are only two rides in that part of the park, but we rode them each several times. Walking through the Hogwarts castles was like a dream come true. It was the only time I wished the lines were a bit longer, so I could have stopped to look around more.
It's so well done, it looks straight out of the movie. I think I could have spent all day wandering shops, and re-riding the rides. Poor Finny wasn't tall enough to ride the main ride in the castle, but he loved riding Flight of The Hippogriff, and seeing Hagrid's hut.
Our second day there we had lunch at the Three Broomsticks, which was such a fun experience.
The whole restaurant is very atmospheric, and each of the kids ordered a Butterbeer with their lunch. Butterbeer mustaches anyone?
We spent lots of time wandering through shops, buying sweets from Honeydukes, and admiring everything from quills, to owls, to scarves. In the main bathroom, you can hear Moaning Myrtle talking to you, and you can see the Hogwarts Express right as you walk in. We tried Pumpkin Juice, but we decided none of us were big fans. Butterbeer tastes much better than we expected it to. It was so much fun, and was the best thing my little Harry Potter heart could imagine. And if I haven't already convinced you that it was our favorite place, it's made even more obvious by the fact that I have only a few other pictures from the rest of all of Universal Studios.
The kids all loved Jurassic Park, and we all got to ride it twice, courtesy of a very nice ride attendant who I'm pretty sure fudged on Finn's actual height. Some of the other rides were fun, some were okay, but it seems like Universal is a one trick pony when it comes to spraying you in the face for every ride. It gets a little old after awhile.
We spent six days in various parks and places, rode countless numbers of rides, took countless photos, and made countless memories. We also walked countless miles. A step tracker often looked something like this by the end of the day. I think we logged just under thirty miles in six days.
Which is an especially big feat when you have tiny legs. Our week in Disneyland and Anniversal Studios, (Finn's name for it), wore us right out.
Finn, and all the kids, were amazing. They walked and walked with little complaint, dealt with bad weather, and traffic delays, hunger, and less sleep than normal. They were helpful, pleasant, and best of all, grateful. We heard so many thank you's over the course of our week in California. They had the best attitudes we could have asked for. And anyone with kids knows that can make or break a vacation. It's been a few months now, and we all still look back fondly, remembering our favorite things, and wishing we could go back. Thank you, California, for the memories.
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