Universal Orlando Resort

I think I have the most passionate hogwartz fan on the planet. My first time there. But I have to tell you what happened before the trip!! Ok my kid has read every book on Harry Potter and even the books by its ghost writers about the mauraders before Harry. A must read. She then tells me I have to be sorted into a house prior to my arrival. So after doing this test - she tells me I am a hufflepuff and that she is too. Now these hufflepuff are mellow herbologists if you catch my meaning and want to be liked. Not me but anyway there color is yellow and I do not look good in this hue. So two nights before the trip my daughter calls me and said you are going to have to sit down. She got our tests wrong and I am actually a slitheran . I bought all new outfits and found I was supporting the wrong house. I had an identity crisis. Though this house had some bad eggs they are known for being determined, leaders and wear green which looks fabulous on me. But my daughter says she would take all the hufflepuff gear off my shoulders.... I think I got played for a new wardrobe! The jury is still out on this.

We prepaid for two days... you need three What I liked is they have escalators- a necessity if you are not fond of walking and your feet ache at the end of your day!!! Disney does not have this- cautionary tale.

The different locations have something for everyone but no cover. Please bring water canisters free refills all over the park and if you have flavor packets you will thank me later

When you walk in you think you are in New York- it is not Disney with the horticulture it is industrial.

Stopped for pizza and gelato. Advisory it does not taste like New York pizza. Avoid at all cost! Next to it was bodega. For 4 dollars we had a huge portion of fruit. That satisfied without the price tag, I do not know if you have seen enchanted but their was a 1 legged pigeon, who I feel was a paid actor because he found us twice for good and was fed because of his disability and knew how to get his daily meals.

Universal had a parade and unlike Disney you are watching these actors keep in character from some iconic shows with a lot of extra urban flavor like professional bike riders performing stunts.

And behind every studio a surprise we saw bumblebee from transformers, listened to some amazing singers and then yes rode rides!! Now I am not tiny but fit on 95 percent of the rides! Big girls rule!!!

My favorite was TRON Go early because my daughter saw the line was 40 minutes wait and after we got there it was 110 minutes but wow what a rush, I had fun also at men in black/ you know big city bug wants to take over NYC. It was a shooting game and my daughter was laughing at me because I was a terrible shot and then they said hit the red button and only mine lit up to win 100,000 points! Yea my daughter was having a fit!!

No long wait times, rode the auto bots/ excellent and surprisingly good and then went to see Jimmy Fallon race. I loved the employees who kept in character and made us feel like we were not important- I loved it and had seats to wait our turn like we were on a live taping. You gotta do this one for sure.

Oh and yes the villains were in full effect at despicable me. I laughed all the way to the end and gave me great ideas for license plate names! Fun for all.

What I truly loved was you can get free lockers as many as you need for each ride you are going on so not to lose your possessions. At Disney they are only at the front of the park. So you must be strategic as to when you need a change of outfits,

And Universal did something extraordinary they made a separate kiddie park full of shriek and donkey. Water rides and if you do not want to spend it was a very nice change. We even got to meet kungfu panda and learn stretches - it was very tranquil.

Okay I know I said we were there for the wizarding world. I bought a chocolate frog??? Good but very pricey. I drank butter beer - my daughter loved it. It is an acquired taste. We had a chicken patty at hogsmead--and took the train