|
Now the fun begins. First we bellied up to the Drury Inn's big breakfast buffet.
Rocky ate his fill.
And then we drove up to the gates of our home for the next four nights, yes, really, the one and only Universal Orlando Hard Rock Hotel!
Just look at it.
Our budding rock star seemed impressed.
Actually, we all were.
Show Rocky a big lawn and he's off like a flash.
He apparently thinks he can fly.
Right up to the front door.
The Hard Rock is a big hotel.
And it has a big guitar fountain out front. We checked into the hotel but since our room wasn't ready we just left our bags with the concierge and picked up our park tickets and rented an electric guitar for Joe to play in the room (more on that later) and headed off to Harrypotterland.
It's right inside that arch. Do we look excited?
One of our first stops will be Ollivander's Wand Shop where we are hoping Rocky will be chosen as the lucky kid Ollivander will put through the wand selection process. Bill had been told that if you dress like Harry you stand a better chance of being chosen.
Taking in the sights in Diagon Alley. Say, isn't that a dragon up there on the roof of Gringott's Bank?
I do believe that really is a dragon.
Joe and Rocky try out Hagrid's motorcycle and side car.
Look, there it is. Ollivander's.
So did Ollivander choose Rocky? Nope, he chose Joe, the true Harry Potter fan of our group. Old Ollivander is smarter than Bill gave him credit for.
Ollivander recognized immediately that Joe had wizarding experience and needed the proper wand. Of course at Ollivander's you don't choose a wand: the wand chooses you. And a really nice wand chose Joe.
This is the wand that picked Joe in Ollivander's Wand Shop.
And this is the wand I bought five years ago when I was here with my friend David who is now 18 and doesn't use it anymore. It's perfect for Rocky.
Rocky Potter had a good time too.
After all that excitement it was time to relax with a pint of butterbeer.
Rocky is about to put his want to good use.
Just to keep things interesting, Diagon Alley occasionally features street performances.
Rocky is not sure that stewed eel pie looks yummy.
Rocky practices casting a spell.
We are sitting by a fountain in London, just outside Kings Cross Station.
The bus driver was happy to take pictures with us, but his friend inside the window seemed less friendly.
As you are probably aware, the Hogwarts Express arrives and departs from Kings Cross Station Platform 9 3/4, and the only way to get there is to summon up your confidence and walk straight through a brick wall.
C'mon, Rocky. I'm tired of waiting. Do something. Wave that wand!
Rocky and his wand came through for us.
Rocky is ready to board.
Riding the Hogwarts Express is a very interesting experience if you just look out the window.
Rocky is becoming an expert at casting spells.
End of the line.
We are now in Hogsmeade, home of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Even in Florida there's snow on the Hogsmeade rooftops.
Do we look like we're getting tired? Don't be silly.
If we'd just read the sign we'd have realized spells don't work right here right now.
That's Hogwarts behind us. Even on spring break the boys are ready to go back to school. Oh boy, this is going to be fun.
Funny thing, though. They shut down the line and we were the last to enter. Was something wrong with the ride?
Turns out the ride had shut down and the line was far ahead of us, so we had lots of time to look around the school's entrance halls and get to know some of the paintings. After a while we got bored and walked back outside, knowing we could come back another time.
This kiddie coaster is called, "Flight of the Hippogriff," named after a magical creature in the Potter books.
Here's something I learned this trip to Florida: When a 10-year-old tells you he really doesn't want to ride a roller coaster it's absolutely not a good idea to talk him into it with the promise that this one is perfect for kids. Next time I will listen to the 10-year-old.
That snow must be magical because this is Florida and it's not melting.
For a change, let's try something that isn't Harry Potter. How about the Simpsons' Twirl 'n' Hurl? But it sounds scary and upchuckky. What will Rocky think?
Are you kidding? He loved it!
Rocky and Lily and a flying saucer.
Joe was not impressed.
Homer Simpson's beverage of choice is Duff Beer. Here's the brewery.
And here's Rocky with some bushy beer cans.
Rocky even found Krusty the Clown. He looks scarier than a roller coaster to me.
Well look at that. Queen Latifah will be performing here tonight. I'm pretty sure we'll all be too tired to come back for the show, though. Probably.
We found a Despicable Me/Minions experience where we got to shoot laser guns at the bad guys.
We really took care of the bad guys.
And then we got hungry and decided to grab a bite to eat before returning to the hotel to move our stuff from the lobby into our room.
Should we check out the Hard Rock Cafe?
Of course we should. Joe was awestruck by all the rock memorabilia on display.
He was also awestruck by the size of his burger.
Could he eat the whole thing?
Are you kidding?
This chipmunk's meal was not quite so big.
The boys presented Bill his very own Pokemon card.
And then on happily full stomachs we walked back to the hotel to find our room.
The hotel grounds are quite nice.
Rocky has sprouted wings.
And Joe has found a Fender Stratocaster in our room, just like the hotel promised. He'd picked it out himself from an iPad catalog at the front desk. If you're going to call yourself the "Hard Rock" you have to be a hotel that offers amenities you won't find elsewhere.
That guitar suits him nicely, I think. We have adjoining rooms, with one room a normal two-queen hotel room and the other a suite with kitchen, dining room and living room. Bill got the big room with a separate single bedroom and a bathroom that wasn't connected to the bedroom at all. He did OK.
Joe the rock star.
Want to see him in action?
Joe serenades Lily
Of course even the Hard Rock Hotel can't allow guests to blast their electric guitars at high volume in their rooms. So they've got things set up so that the only loud noise you can hear comes through those headphones.
Rocky isn't impressed.
The price of a doughnut at the Hard Rock Hotel seems excessive even for a resort.
The hotel has a nice pool. They say there are speakers underwater so you can enjoy rock music wherever you are.
Lily and Rocky seem to be enjoying themselves. Joe was practicing his guitar and Bill was thinking there was no way he was getting in that water with the temperature in the low 60s. Lily said the heated pool was fine as long as you didn't get out. Kind of like swimming in Iceland.
They had a good time but boy were they shivering when they returned to the room.
Did I say nobody would want to go back to the park to hear Queen Latifah perform? Guess I was wrong again. Lily and Joe enjoyed the rock concert while Rocky and Bill enjoyed resting in the room.
|
