Day 5: Islands of Adventure…and relax.

As part of our holiday package, we were given two early access to Harry Potter World at the Islands of Adventure. Annoyingly they are only valid for the first seven days of your holiday so we thought we better use one of them! It’s Mothers Day here in the US so we hoped the parks wouldn’t be as busy as they were yesterday – we were wrong. It was just as busy as it was yesterday by the afternoon – but the morning. Empty.

Being in the park an hour before opening meant we could get on practically everything within ten minutes. First it was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, this is the ride where you get to queue through Hogwarts and it’s mightily impressive. As there was no line we didn’t really get to experience how fun the queue could be – there were talking and moving paintings, the sorting hat, the goblet of fire, everything Potter. With wait times reaching over two hours in busy periods, at least you have something to keep you entertained.

We then trotted off to the former dueling dragons ride, now re-branded as the Dragon Challenge. Again straight on but after another really long walk through the queue area. After this fun rollercoaster we waited in line at Ollivanders where only thirty people at a time go inside the wand shop and an actor picks a child and puts on a little magic show. It could have been more fun for everyone but it was an entertaining little show and afterwards you get to find the wand for you. Debora is now the proud owner of a birch wand with a unicorn hair core.

Then it was butterbeer time! Debora loved it.

With the rest of the park now officially open, we made our way to the Marvel Super Hero Island where we rode the Spider-Man ride and gawked at all the amazing merch and statues. As a Spider-Fan, I think this is the best ride, but as far as the 3D simulators go, the Harry Potter one probably has it beat. As well as the simulation and 3D video screen journey, it includes anamatronics and the such, it had me yelping on more than one occasion – no wonder it’s such a popular ride.

We then foolishly decided to go on the Popeye River Rapids, it had just opened it’s doors so we were straight onto the ride, on our own. It hasn’t been so hot today and a storm is surely brewing, two things we didn’t take into consideration on these rapids that stated “You Will Get Wet” as opposed to the other water rides at Disney where it said “You May Get Wet”. The sign wasn’t accurate. We didn’t get wet. We got soaked.

We tried to dry off, our clothes drenched through but then went on Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls, a log flume with an 75-foot drop. Any drying off we had done was wasted as once more, we were drenched. When in Rome and all that, we then went on another water ride – Jurassic Park’s River Adventure. This was a gentle ride until the 84 foot drop where – you guessed it – we got drenched. The drop wasn’t bad, it was after when gallons of water are shot at you. We would spend the rest of the day squelching.

We wandered around some more shops and I managed to get my photo with Cyclops – I’ll have to go back to get the rest – before we went on the Hulk rollercoaster. This shoots you forward straight out of the station and into twists and turns, awesome fun with great views of the park. Not only did Debora pose for the photograph on this ride – with her eyes open! She also conquered the Hulk.

It was then nearing midday and we’d done all the major rides. We headed back towards Jurassic Park where we ate our first garden burger and fries – it was a good lunch in a country where if you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t want cheese pizza, you go hungry. It was then a trip back through The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which was rammed now. We stopped in the sweet shop and picked up some fudge and then decided to pop over to Universal Studios. This would have been easier if Diagon Alley was open!

The Despicable Me queue was still huge – we’re going to have to go back first thing or in the evening for this one it seems, but we saw the Terminator Experience and saved E.T.’s home planet. It was only around 2pm and we were shattered so decided to head back to the hotel. We got out of the wet clothes and recharged our batteries before heading next door to Pizza Hut for dinner. Finally, an early night can be had and just in time too, for tomorrow we’re up early again to catch a coach to the Kennedy Space Center.

Yesterday, I was wearing my Wayne Stock t-shirt which got two comments from strangers. Today, I wore my Harry Potter shirt, which I got sent in the TeeFury lucky dip, this had four comments on how awesome it was. I win at t-shirts. Talking of which, I’ve seen some awesome ones I must own before we leave! We’re making a list of all the things we want to buy – one of those things that is on the list but sadly only a pipe dream are the replica statues of the Avengers. I was posing for photos with them all morning only for Debora to point out the sign that they were actually for sale! We asked the sales guy how much they went for…$6-7k each. If only…