Universal Studios!

I wasn't really sure if I was going to write about the family days in Universal at all, but Mom actually TOLD her readers to come over here and read more, so. I guess I'm postponing talking about my Disney training and first days in favor of The Other Park!

We spent two days there, the first staying mostly in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That's the only reason anyone ever wants to go to Universal anymore, anyway. We looked around Hogsmeade for a bit, admiring the scenery and magic and everything. It looks beautiful and perfectly like Hogsmeade, but really eerie to have all the snow-capped roofs in such hot weather!

Almost right away, we got in line for the castle ride ("Harry Potter and the forbidden journey") and the line wasn't too excruciatingly long at all. Especially since in one waiting room, Ron made it snow. REAL ACTUAL SNOW!!!

The ride itself was, and is, amazing. Hermione transports you all out of the castle on these flying benches, and then through the magic of screens and turns and...I don't even know what it was besides magic, you end up flying all around the grounds. It's almost as realistic as Disney's "Soarin'", and we were worried about hitting the tree-tops. At one point when you enter the forbidden forest, there are TERRIFYING spiders that spit, a dragon that blows smoke....all sorts of frightening things like that. Probably one of the most amazing rides I've ever gone on, and definitely the best part of the park, as it is.

After that ride, we went to "Flight of the Hippogriff", which was laaame. But going to Ollivander's after that was just...I still can't believe my luck. As Mom said in her post, he chose me to get a wand! This is absolutely outrageous, because Ollivander is supposed to pick an 11-year-old. And I may act like one, but I certainly do not look like an 11-year-old. But hey, I won't complain! I tried the first one and broke a bunch of shelves (absolutely terrified me), the second one set off a thunderstorm in the ceiling of the shop, but the THIRD wand, a 15-inch reed wand with phoenix feather, chose me. There was wind rushing and everything. It was absolutely gorgeous, too.

I though about buying it, but decided that I'd rather go through the park without something to have to put in a locker. Which was a good choice! We really enjoyed just getting on rides whenever we wanted. And we did some other stuff, like looking at more shops, getting soaked at Sinbad's show, and going to some other rides that I don't remember, but eventually had to head to catch the shuttle back to the hotel.

The next day at Universal, we went around the whole park. WELL THAT'S A LIE, we went around the whole Islands of Adventure, so half the park. Dad got his fix of roller-coasters (as well as losing his hat on "Doctor Doom's Fall of Terror", because he didn't listen to the rules about hats!!), we three were all absolutely drenched from the Popeye ride and "Ripsaw Falls", rode my old favorite "Jurassic Park River Adventure", and did a few other things. I still looooove the drop in that River ride, by the way. Quality ride right there, even if it's a lot older than, say, the Castle ride.

While in Jurassic Park, we also went to the Nursery were they hatch baby dinos. We got to watch a little lady raptor hatch, and yet again, the worker there ignored the obviously younger children in lieu of letting ME name the baby raptor and keep her birth certificate!
I'm quite certain this had something to do with the fact that I was practically playing peek-a-boo with an animatronic raptor, but whatever.

We picked up a bunch of stuff at Hogsmeade before we left, including my wand and fizzing whizzbees! Which are chocolate and magically fizzle in your mouth. HIGHLY recommend them. :)

Anyway, I think that's a good enough summary. As of right now, I'm several days into my DCP, two days into training, but I can summarize these days later for a different post. I just wanted to get that out!

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

If you're reading this right now, most likely you're incredibly confused why I'd either be emailing you or why this blog is suddenly being updated after over a YEAR of inactivity. And hopefully, if you're reading this, you already know what's going on in my life that's exciting enough to start anew and promise myself to blog more.

I'm going to Disney World!! In five short days, I'll be starting in the Disney College Program in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I couldn't be more excited to start, and topping things off we're spending a few days in Universal Studios! This is a life that promises many, many adventures!!

We're already in Orlando, and even just getting here was an adventure. Aided, of course, by my scatterbrained-self.
Wednesday morning, Mom and I had the plan to leave around 9:30 am for the airport. And we did get out of the house at 9:27, so we were feeling on top of the world! It's not until we're at McDonald's for breakfast and Mom asks if I'm nervous that I admit (a worry I still have a little) I'm concerned about my I-9 documents. These are part of the elaaaaaaborate online paperwork I had to do for Disney, and they're the only forms that are still marked "pending" on the internet, not "sent". I'm 98% sure that's because they need to see my Social Security and Driver's License in person, and told Mom as such. She asked if I had my social security card. And I said no.

WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT DO!
So we rushed back home, and after making our stop at Walgreens and whatnot, were already far behind schedule. The social cards were in a place that was nearly impossible to get to, even with Dad on the phone, and things were looking bleak.

But there was hope on the horizon! Mark, my wonderful brother and our knight in shining armor, accepted Mom's offer to drive us to the airport and shave off all that parking/walking-from-parking-lot time.

We got to the airport and, in yet ANOTHER blessing, were able to get a porter. This gentleman lifted our many heavy bags (I am moving for eight months, as we told many of the people in the airport who like to joke about so few people having SO MUCH LUGGAGE). And as a trusted airport employee was even able to tag our bags without officially weighing them from whence he took them to the X-ray machine. Bless him!!!

Security was going well, there wasn't a long line or anything, until I get pulled aside by the TSA. Oooooof course. They rifled through my backpack, finally finding a metal pencil case that was sitting next to an i-clicker (which is pointless and I shouldn't own anymore in the first place). Metal next to a power source did not exactly make something that the X-Ray machine liked.

Eventually we got through and to our gate, where we didn't have any problems. Nor did we have any on the plane!
WELL except for Mom throwing the luggage at a lady on an oxygen tank, but we can skip that part.

Our flight had a long layover in Houston, so Mom and I stopped for dinner at a lovely place called Bubba's City Grill. This poor dear next to us was waiting for a friend (she was early, friend was late), so she eavesdropped for a bit until she just piped up to confess. Apparently, Mother and I are very endearing to listen to.

We three discussed Disney for awhile, then she and I talked for a bit about GCB, which is Kristen Chenoweth's new/old (as it's cancelled now) show on ABC. And really, Cheno ought to just stay away from ABC because this is now the second time she's been in a show with honestly good ratings and cute characters, colors, environment, songs, and storyline and been shafted. But that's not the point of this post!

Our flight from Houston to Orlando was nice, and Dad was waiting for us in the airport. Oh, how I have missed humidity!!! Florida, I'm already happy to call you home. On top of all that, it was raining when we got in (or, as one of the airline workers in our tram said, "Liquid Sunshine". I'm going to have to use that line!), and I've missed rain even more than humidity. Okay, a LOT more than I've missed humidity. Living in a desert is tough beans, y'all.

The people in Orlando have so far all been darlings, and we got to our hotel without much of a hitch. The taxi driver cleaned us out of cash for sure, but the hotel is cute. At least I think it is...it was kind of dark. And Mom and Dad got a greeeeeat deal on it, so that's awesome, too!

Basically, Florida has yet to do me wrong. It's only been 13 hours, so there's still plenty to go wrong, but even more to go right!

"Leaving On a Jet Plane" is a lovely song by Peter, Paul, and Mary. Gif (not mine) is from The Princess and the Frog.