10 tips to conquering the magically crowded Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida
1. Get there early. We arrived 30 minutes before the park opened and received special tickets for getting into the Harry Potter portion of the park. Once in the main park, we waited in a line that moved very fast and before we knew it we were in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Extra Tip: Keep your group together, they will only give the people in line the tickets.
2. Head straight for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. We only waited in line for 15 minutes, but by the time we got off of the ride it was a 2 hour wait. Have your camera out for the line, walking through the castle is part of the experience and there are lots of cool things to take pictures or video of. Extra tip: The moving people in the pictures video well, but don’t come out in the pictures.
3. Head to the Dragon Challenge second. People were still waiting for the Forbidden Journey and the line was not bad at all, 10 minutes tops. Have your camera ready for this line too, there are lots of cool "artifacts" from the tri-wizard tournament.
4. When you get off of the Dragon Challenge hop over to the Flight of the Hippogriff. That ride never really seamed to have a long line. It is kind of a kids ride, but the animatronic hippogriff and guy dressed like Hagrid was worth it.
5. By now the lines for the rides are probably getting pretty long, go over to the three broomsticks, there should not be a line for the restaurant yet but if you go down the alley on the side of it there is a back door to the bar where you can get butterbeer. We only had one person in front of us at the bar, but there were 27 people in line at the butterbeer cart in front of the restaurant. Take a seat out on the patio in back of the restaurant to enjoy the views of the castle.
6. Now that you have done the rides and have a butterbeer in hand, take a stroll through the owlery and shops. By this time many of the shops had waiting lines to get in, but if its not to bad take them in now. Also check out the line for Ollivander's. If it is more than an hour wait hold off.
7. With the sugary butterbeer down the hatch, leave the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is probably to crowded to enjoy by now. Go enjoy the rest of the park, rest, have lunch and dinner then come back in the evening.
8. Check out the line for Ollivander's, if it is more than an hour wait hold off. The park was a lot less crowded when we came back in the evening. Most of the kids had left. Bill waited in the Ollivander's line while I rode the Dragon Challenge again, and again. Well, okay I rode it 10 times in a row with no line at all!
9. Have a pumpkin juice while waiting in line for Ollivander's. It is like a pumpkin pie dessert in a bottle. While in Ollivander's, make sure to walk all the way to the back of the store, it took you long enough to get in there, enjoy it.
10. With your wands and souvenirs safely in the locker, get back in line for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. If you choose the single rider line there is probably going to be a very short line to wait in. You can most likely go a few times before the park closes.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Travel Tip Tuesday
The smartest way to pass time on a plane or train.
Learn a new language, or at least learn the basics. It's always nice to be able to say please and thank you or ask where the bathroom is. There are many ways to learn a new language from free to pricy. Since we are talking about 8-12 hours of practice, I recommend keeping it simple.
For free you can download a list of basic words and phrases to study.
For $10 - $15 your can pick up a wide variety of Audio CDs, CD ROMs, books or eBooks that will teach you enough to get by.
Watch a foreign film in the language of the country you are traveling to or one that was filmed there. Pick one with sub-titles and you will be entertained and immersed in the new culture at the same time.
Read a guidebook on your destination. If you are not the type A traveler that I am that has 12 different guidebooks memorized before I step on the plane, then this is a great time to check out all of the sites you are headed to. If you are a type A traveler, then a little review never hurts.
Study a map of your destination. This will help insure that you don't get lost when your feet hit the ground.
Are you sitting near a local person from your destination? How better to learn about a new place? You have them captive for your whole trip. Just know when to stop bugging them if they don't want to give you their country's entire history for 8 hours.
Chat with other travelers going to the same place. What are their plans? Are they doing something cool that you did not know about?
Learn a new language, or at least learn the basics. It's always nice to be able to say please and thank you or ask where the bathroom is. There are many ways to learn a new language from free to pricy. Since we are talking about 8-12 hours of practice, I recommend keeping it simple.
For free you can download a list of basic words and phrases to study.
For $10 - $15 your can pick up a wide variety of Audio CDs, CD ROMs, books or eBooks that will teach you enough to get by.
Watch a foreign film in the language of the country you are traveling to or one that was filmed there. Pick one with sub-titles and you will be entertained and immersed in the new culture at the same time.
Read a guidebook on your destination. If you are not the type A traveler that I am that has 12 different guidebooks memorized before I step on the plane, then this is a great time to check out all of the sites you are headed to. If you are a type A traveler, then a little review never hurts.
Study a map of your destination. This will help insure that you don't get lost when your feet hit the ground.
Are you sitting near a local person from your destination? How better to learn about a new place? You have them captive for your whole trip. Just know when to stop bugging them if they don't want to give you their country's entire history for 8 hours.
Chat with other travelers going to the same place. What are their plans? Are they doing something cool that you did not know about?
Monday, July 11, 2011
Mind Saving Monday
No matter if you miss your flight or your flight is canceled or delayed, it's never fun to sit around in an airport waiting. Here are some tips I used on a troubled flight where my first flight (delayed because of bad weather) caused me to miss my connecting flight home.
If there is no hope of getting out the same day, the first thing to do is find a room for the night as close as possible to the airport. I say do this first because everyone else will be doing the same thing and you want to beat them to the punch. I actually called as soon as we landed and people were still unloading off of our delayed plane. Before I leave home I print a list of a few hotels close to the airports that I will be flying through with their phone number, website and online price. Call the hotel ASAP; they may cut you a price break out of sympathy. If the cost is more over the phone than online, pull out your laptop or smart phone and book online.
If you have a travel agent they should be the next phone call. They can be a tremendous help in looking for a new flight and may have connections that you don't.
Your third step should be calling the airline for reservations help, make sure to have this number along with your flight numbers available. You will most likely be on hold for a while so make the call on your way to get in line for a gate agent to assist you in the airport. These steps can double your chances of getting help sooner.
Have a laptop? Pop it out while you are waiting on hold and in line. Search for options on the airline website yourself, even look at flights on other carriers. Be prepared with alternatives before you get someone to help you. Triple multi-tasking is definitely the key.
Everyone knows that I highly discourage checking luggage…. BUT, if you do check your luggage, always bring a change of clothes, medication and your toiletries in your carry-on.
So by now you should have your next flight booked, a hotel room waiting for you and some time to kill. Here is what to do now…
First, take a deep breath, all of your hard work and fast thinking has paid off and your new arrangements (ideal or not) are in order.
Second, check in to your room, have a nice meal and a spa treatment to dissolve away the stress. Relax, pick up a new book or take a nap - don't think about all of the other people getting a headache sitting in the awful airport chairs next to screaming kids that can't get a hotel room.
Third, take advantage of your "extended" vacation and check out the local attractions. A museum or zoo can be ultra-relaxing or check out that movie in the theater you have wanted to see!
My last words of advice: Be nice, be creative and be patient – everything will eventually workout. Think of it as an opportunity, not a let-down.
If there is no hope of getting out the same day, the first thing to do is find a room for the night as close as possible to the airport. I say do this first because everyone else will be doing the same thing and you want to beat them to the punch. I actually called as soon as we landed and people were still unloading off of our delayed plane. Before I leave home I print a list of a few hotels close to the airports that I will be flying through with their phone number, website and online price. Call the hotel ASAP; they may cut you a price break out of sympathy. If the cost is more over the phone than online, pull out your laptop or smart phone and book online.
If you have a travel agent they should be the next phone call. They can be a tremendous help in looking for a new flight and may have connections that you don't.
Your third step should be calling the airline for reservations help, make sure to have this number along with your flight numbers available. You will most likely be on hold for a while so make the call on your way to get in line for a gate agent to assist you in the airport. These steps can double your chances of getting help sooner.
Have a laptop? Pop it out while you are waiting on hold and in line. Search for options on the airline website yourself, even look at flights on other carriers. Be prepared with alternatives before you get someone to help you. Triple multi-tasking is definitely the key.
Everyone knows that I highly discourage checking luggage…. BUT, if you do check your luggage, always bring a change of clothes, medication and your toiletries in your carry-on.
So by now you should have your next flight booked, a hotel room waiting for you and some time to kill. Here is what to do now…
First, take a deep breath, all of your hard work and fast thinking has paid off and your new arrangements (ideal or not) are in order.
Second, check in to your room, have a nice meal and a spa treatment to dissolve away the stress. Relax, pick up a new book or take a nap - don't think about all of the other people getting a headache sitting in the awful airport chairs next to screaming kids that can't get a hotel room.
Third, take advantage of your "extended" vacation and check out the local attractions. A museum or zoo can be ultra-relaxing or check out that movie in the theater you have wanted to see!
My last words of advice: Be nice, be creative and be patient – everything will eventually workout. Think of it as an opportunity, not a let-down.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Travel Tip Tuesday
No matter how social you are, there is always one thing that all travelers face. The inevitable moments of boredom. Here is a list of my favorite items that keep me entertained and don't take up a lot of room. Plus they are low noise makers or include headphones as to not irritate the folks around you.
$1.00 or less
$1.00 or less
- Download and print a few games of Sudoku. There are tons of websites like www.printable-sudoku-puzzles.com that let you print for free.
- A deck of cards. Always good for countless different games. You can even get a Texas Holdem' Game going with fellow bored people.
- Check out the $1 store for crossword puzzle books, word search books and travel size games like connect four.
- Do you like Boggle or Scrabble but don't want to bring the box? Try Bananagrams. Just as fun, but in a banana sized pouch. To avoid the "is that a banana in your pocket" question at airport security it's better to put this one in your carry on.
- For those creative folks, try Travel Tangoes.
- For a little diversity try a 6 in 1 Travel Magnetic Game set. It usually includes games like Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Parcheesi and Chinese Checkers.
- OK, it sounds like a kids game but it's fun and gets you in the travel mood. Oh The "Wondrous" Places You'll Go! Travel Card Game is great to play in a small group.
- For $50, you can get the tiny iPod shuffle. Fill it up with songs for endless entertainment. They only downside is that it is electronic and requires a charging cable to be carried also.
- The Nintendo DS is another one that is great for long term entertainment and the price is just dropping to $99 for the cheaper version. Once you buy a few games you are back over $100, but the battery seems to last a long time and there is a large variety of kid and adult games.
- I had a hard time shelling out over $200 for my iPod Touch, but I love it. I use it to check email and browse the web (Wi-Fi needed) or watch movies, listen to music and play tons of fun games. Again, another electronic that need to be charged.
- If you are an avid reader try an ereader like the Amazon Kindle. For just over $100 you can download a ton of books (even some free ones) and save some room in your luggage.
- Not exactly pocket size, but definitely carry on size is the Netbook. The top selling one on Amazon.com right now is the $280 Toshiba NB505-N508BL 10.1-Inch Netbook. With over 8 hours of battery life and less than 3 pounds, you will have everything you need at your finger tips.
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