Debbie turns 52 in Hogsmeade!

So, we didn't get a great night's sleep last night. We used the excessive ambient outdoor light through the scrim curtain as our nightlight. But, it was a bit much! Here's a tip if you're traveling to the Universal Orlando Four Points by Sheraton, take a nightlight to plug in the bathroom. Use the blackout shade behind the scrim one and you'll be set. Another hint, you set the HVAC fan at the window unit, but you set the thermostat across the room on the wall. We found it was a pretty loud fan at either speed.

Our walk, no straight lines in Universal!

We were up pretty early so we could start walking over to Universal by 7am. The park hours on December 1st were 9am to 7pm. Since we purchased the WWoHP package from Universal Vacations, we got to enter Islands of Adventure and Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or WWoHP, or Hogsmeade an hour early. It was about 70 degrees F when we got up, it had dropped 10 degrees by the time we started walking to the park and it dropped for the next 24 hours to 40 degrees by the next morning. It drizzled a little in the morning, but we never got wet. There was bright sun and a cool breeze the whole day. If you were in the sun, it was comfortable. But, if you sat anywhere in the shade, the cold wind would cut right through you! It worked out fine, we were comfortable in the clothes we had packed expecting it to be both colder and rainier.

I'm hoping it is this lonely in Hogsmeade!



Wow! Debbie in Hogsmeade!

They opened the turnstiles at the Port of Entry at 8am exactly. We were first in line at our turnstile. There were fewer than 100 people at the turnstiles at 8am. There were probably fewer than 200 people in Hogsmeade during the first hour. It was perfect. We were in the first very small group in Ollivander's Wand Shop. We could hear the mandrake screaming from the shop window across the street. We could hear the scritching of the quills outside the shop door. We could easily hear Moaning Myrtle in the restrooms since we were practically alone there first thing. The Forbidden Journey ride was not functional until 8:45am, but that was fine with us, we just went through the castle tour line the first time.


in Ollivander's Wand Shop

in the Owl Post



Tethered brooms in Dervish and Banges


I bought a little case that looked like a leather suitcase, embossed with the Hogwarts School of Wizardry & Witchcraft logo that contained notecards and envelopes for $20 at the Owl Post which we entered as we exited Olivander's. The Owl Post leads directly into Dervish & Banges (which is where I actually paid for it). Upon exiting Dervish & Banges, you enter the Owlery and there is a person there with a stamp and and Owl Post deposit box. I got a letter stamped there as well as my new passport (first destination!).

Inside the Owlery





outside the Owlery

After that we wandered a bit and looked in the fake shop windows. We went in the restrooms to listen to Moaning Myrtle complain and flush herself down the toilet. We found the Gringott's Bank ATM, but didn't use it. It would have been cool though to find out if it issues a Gringott's Bank slip! Then, we headed to the end of the street and around the corner to Hogwart's! It is amazing! All of Hogsmeade was amazing! Clay and I both wished that you could actually arrive in Hogsmeade by a choice of first year's boats, Hogwart's Express Train from Platform 9 3/4, by flying broom or Hippogriff. Instead, we walked through Suess Landing. Not the best mood setter. It would have been much more magical to arrive other than by walking through the other parts of Islands of Adventure.

Bob at Gringott's Bank ATM

The Owlery from Gringott's ATM



Turn the corner and there's Hogwarts School!

Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry



Portrait room in Hogwart's Castle



We were told as we approached Hogwart's School that the Forbidden Journey ride was not working this morning. They were sure it would be working later if we would like to return later, or we could go through the castle tour line. We were not going to ride anyway, so we walked through the castle tour line. It skips a lot of the castle! The ride started working at 8:45am while we were inside and it was announced over loudspeaker. People wasted no time lining up to board the enchanted benches. Clay did not work up his courage to ride until we returned to Hogsmeade to eat dinner! I have always suffered motion sickness and now with the Meniere's Disease, I ride very little... think It's a Small World. Clay would wind up on 3 rides this trip and I would only ride one! More later!



Even though we had most of the castle tour almost to ourselves, we did not get very good photos. It is very dark inside and the moving and talking portraits do not photograph. The moving and talking holographs of Dumbledore, Harry, Ron & Hermione do not photograph well either.

Dumbledore's office, notice missing Sorting Hat

Dumbledore's pensieve

Harry, Ron & Hermione

Dragon skeleton in Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom

Gryffindor Common Room

The sorting hat! It talks about the rules of the ride.



Bob with Scabbers plushs in Filch's

We had to ask a couple of Hogwart's students for permission to see the sorting hat and take a photo. If it had been crowded, we would have missed it! It was very realistic! The voice was perfect! After hearing the sorting hat's poem we were even more sure that we would not ride! We backtracked to the exit and entered Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods. This was probably the best of the shops. There was stuff here that was no where else (Dobby t-shirts, kids sizes only and Christmas ornaments and Marauder's Map t-shirts) and pretty much most of what we found elsewhere we also found here (time turner keychains). Here is a tip: there was a long sleeved polo shirt with the Hogwart's crest and the year 2010 embroidered on the left chest. It was about $50. We only saw it on a cart outside Filch's on the walk back to Hogsmeade. If I had known about it, because of the year on it, I would have bought it instead of the Harry Potter Quidditch team jersey. Don't get me wrong the 07 seeker's jersey is way cool, if very geeky, but I would have chosen the 2010 shirt over it if I had seen it before making my purchase. Just a tip for readers who might feel the same way. Oh, and there was no way I was buying 2 $50 long sleeve HP polo shirts! Check the carts first! You can walk back into Filch's. There was also a wand cart in the same area. Another tip: I had my heart set on the the Marauder's Map T-shirt. When we got there and I held it up to me, the L that would fit around my chest came down to my mid-thigh! So, Clay got one instead of me. (about $24) If they had had a Kid's size XL it would have fit around me and been shorter, but L was as large as they had out.



Bob with a Death Eater's mask in Filch's

This photo is the start of one of our signature moments in Hogsmeade and reflects what a great job they are doing in the details. The young woman visible behind Bob saw us taking this photo. She came over and asked what kind of magical creature we had. I told her we were muggles and Bob was just our little dog. She took Bob and petted him and looked into his eyes, handed him back and said I'm not so sure, I think he may be your familiar. Are you sure he is not a magical dog? That was great! She came up to the cash register later when we were there and told the "students" working the registers about our "magical puppy named Bob". Bob loved it!




Debbie trying on a Gryffindor Quidditch jersey

There are no fitting rooms in any of the shops (that we ever saw!). I tried on this jersey and the Kid's XL Dobby t-shirt over a heavy cableknit cotton sweater. Hopefully even with laundry shrinkage they will still fit! No mirrors either that I noticed. I asked Clay and he said it fit. I asked, is this too geeky and he laughed and said it's pretty geeky! Sold. Clay bought it for my birthday present from him! I also picked out a Gryffindor crest Christmas ornament (about $20).

Flight of the Hippogriff





English on L, American on R with 2 Butterbeers!



By now it was almost 9:30am and our reserved time for our included breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. It was starting to get crowded, and it had gotten colder and windier, so we were happy to go sit inside and have a warm meal. Clay had the English Breakfast and I had the American Breakfast. We both had a regular Butterbeer. The breakfasts were pretty similar. Both had scrambled eggs, link sausage, croissant and potatoes. American also had strips of bacon. British had black pudding (which I found surprisingly tasty!), beans, tomato, and slices of what seemed like ham. I don't think we got a photo of the breakfast menu. But, both ours were $15 as I recall. For the same money, the British breakfast had more food on the plate. They also had oatmeal breakfast, pancake breakfast and Continental breakfast. As I recall, all were the same price. $15 for oatmeal!?! But, our favorite part was the Butterbeer! Oh it is so creamy and delicious! It tastes like creme soda with butterscotch syrup and whipped cream. No idea what it really is. They pour the drink in a cup and then go to a separate machine to dispense the foamy topping. Really yummy! There is music from the Harry Potter movies playing throughout the WWoHP, but we could really hear it well in the restaurant. While we were eating we saw various walls and upper floors light up and get a shadow show of house elfs or owls delivering the post! Connected to the Three Broomsticks is the Hogshead Pub. The mounted Hogshead moves and snorts occassionally. There is a stairwell to the left of the bar and around it you can hear kitchen noises and voices and breaking plates and glasses, which is pretty funny and/or magical because all the dishes, cups and utensils here were plastic!



Birthday toast left a Butterbeer moustache!







Lunch/Dinner menu for later...

Clay never did get around to trying the local real beer!

Hogshead Pub backbar - it snorts!

You could hear kitchen noises at these stairs!

I am going to break here and start a new post with the rest of the days activities since this is pretty long already! Come back for the after late breakfast fun!