Harry Potter, the Movie and the Theme Park

One of the coolest things about living in Orlando is being able to enjoy the oh-so-popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Since its opening one year ago, this addition to the theme park has been one of the most talked-about attractions and has enchanted visitors from all over the world (including the stars of the Harry Potter movies themselves). Click here to visit my first blog post about the Wizarding World, and here to see my videos of the Frog Choir and Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs. You can also find more photos on Facebook.

So, what better way to commemorate the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise than with a visit to Universal's Islands of Adventure and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! First, of course, I had to watch the movie. It was early in the afternoon when I arrived at the AMC Universal Cineplex at Universal's CityWalk. Even though it was opening weekend, the afternoon shows were still available (I noticed that the 7pm show was already sold out). The movie was great! Everything I was hoping for, and more. Adventure, excitement, love, tragedy, heroism, good vs. evil, and a happy ending.

Hog's Head

After the movie, it was time to head straight to the Wizarding World. Our first stop was the Hog's Head Pub for a nice cool mug of frozen butterbeer. After that, we strolled the shops of Hogsmeade and stopped to listen to the Frog Choir. There was a 90-minute wait for the Forbidden Journey, so we decided to skip it today and just meander through the rest of the Wizarding World. I know that there are thousands of people all over the world who are dying to visit this theme park, and I know how lucky I am that I get to visit almost whenever I want. A great benefit of living in Orlando!



All in all, it was a lovely Harry Potter-filled afternoon. I got to watch the final movie and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter all in one day. Although the movies are over, the experience lives on through the theme park. Thanks J.K. Rowling, and thanks Universal Studios!

Dinner at Downtown Disney

 Some family members were in town for a few days, and invited me to join them for dinner near their hotel at Downtown Disney. On Monday night, we went to the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. I'd never been there before, and was looking forward to trying it out. We sat at a table towards the back, away from the main stage, so that the loud music wouldn't bother the kids. But I did get up to sneak a closer look at the entertainment. They had a small group of Irish dancers doing a jig, and a live band that followed their performance. It was great! I was ready to break out in a dance myself, but headed back to our table to check out the menu. We ordered a round of Guinness, and the battered cocktail sausages as an appetizer. For dinner, it was chicken and mash for me and beef curry pie for my husband. Others at our table ordered fish and chips, and shepherd's pie. I'm not usually a fan of Irish cuisine, but the food was good! I'm glad I had the chance to try it!

The next night, my family invited me back for another dinner at Downtown Disney. This time, it was Fulton's Crab House. We had to wait awhile for a table, especially since the fierce rain brought in large groups of people at once. I was starving by the time we got seated! But luckily our server brought us lots of bread and crackers with crab dip. For dinner, I had the Atlantic salmon. It was served with shiitake mushrooms, and it was absolutely delicious. Others ordered Parmesan-crusted tilapia, mussels, crab cakes, and snow crab legs. One member of our group said the fish tacos he ordered as an appetizer were the best he'd ever had. Although the meal was pricey, it was delicious and a lot of fun. Oh, and I was able to show my Disney annual pass for an extra 10% discount!

So, thanks to my out-of-town visitors, I was able to dine at these two restaurants that I had never been to before (honestly, we usually eat at Pollo Campero). To see more of my photos from Raglan Road and Fulton's Crab House, check out my Facebook page. And in case you're wondering what else there is to eat at Downtown Disney, here's a list of all their dining options:

Bongo's Cuban Cafe (yummy!)
Fulton's Crab House
House of Blues Restaurant
Portobello (Italian food; I've never eaten there)
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
Wolfgang Puck Cafe (never eaten here)
Cap'n Jack's Restaurant (never eaten here either...never really notice it either)
Earl of Sandwich
Pollo Campero
Paradiso 37 (brand-new!)
Planet Hollywood (I'm not really a fan of their food)
T-Rex (don't really like their food either)
Rainforest Cafe

There you have it! For more info on these restaurants, click here. 
Thanks, and have fun!