The month started with Double Trouble - A Challenge Cache that was near home and requires finding two caches with the Challenge attribute. I had 55 qualifying caches!
My daughter had a high school music department trip to Orlando, Florida, where they performed at Universal Resort Florida. Near the Hard Rock Cafe is Divided We Fall... a virtual which features a piece of the Berlin Wall. The site is almost behind the cafe, so not usually visited.
Wall and me
Another virtual cache had me taking a picture with the Universal globe. The cache is called The Globe.
Me and the world
Another virtual cache, Benchmark Hounds: Orlando, had me looking for survey markers in the sidewalks. I took a picture by the Cowfish Grill.
The Restaurant of Dr. Moreau
The next day, the trip went to Disney's Magic Kingdom and another virtual had me taking a pic by the famous castle.
Fancier in real life
The final day of the trip we were in Disney Hollywood Studios with another virtual cache. Here I am by the spot to get answers for the cache owner.
After a hearty hotel breakfast, we got on shuttle buses and headed back over to Universal Resort Florida. This day was the performance day, so the students had to pack their instruments and outfits and music on a special bus. At the park, I made my way through the Marvel and Cartoon areas to get to the Harry Potter stuff in The Islands of Adventure. The park has the recreation of Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade, the magic town near the castle.
Marveltopia
Betty Boop and Man in Moon
Entrance to Pottersville
Hogwarts
In the castle, I rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Riders go on a magical ride on a bench enchanted by Hermione. It flies through the castle and the grounds, including the Whomping Willow and a quidditch match. It was a lot of fun if a lot of tossing around.
Then I rode Flight of the Hippogriffs, a more mild coaster. The line includes Hagrid's shack. The actual coaster looks cool, a wicker hippogriff, but the last car was mysterious to me.
Fancy sign
Hagrid's hut
The tracks
The train (looks like wicker!)
Who is supposed to ride in the back car?
Hogsmeade is a loving recreation of the town where older students of Hogwarts can go and enjoy some off time. This is the area that has the new Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, which was one of the best coasters in the park. The line was long, I waited about an hour, but it was very enjoyable. The ride shows off some magical creatures and some interesting direction changes and drops.
Snowy roofs plus 85-degree temperature!
More Hogsmeade
Another view of the school
After the ride, I had some Butterbeer and took the Hogwarts Express back to London, which is at the other park, Universal Studios.
Enjoying a beer
Station by Hogsmeade
The express arrives
Room with a (fake) view
The London station
At the other end, it was about lunch time so I walked around considering places to eat. I saw one stand with jacket potatoes, an English delicacy that is not nearly famous enough. I had the loaded jacket potato, which start with a nice, healthy baked potato and then adds butter, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and some chives sprinkled on top. It was tasty and satisfying. I sat by the Knight Bus, which had the usual conversations and photo ops.
Hit the jack(et)pot(ato)!
Across the way is a set of row houses. If someone knocks on #12 Grimmauld Place (home of the Blacks), the window above shows a guy peeking out. I guess he's one of the servants? It's been a long time since I read the books or watched the movies.
Knock on Black's door
Peeking out at the visitors!
It was almost time for the concerts (remember, I was a chaperone for the high school music department trip), so I started making my way back to the City Walk stage. On the way, I ran into the Blues Brothers show with only one song left. I kept going, getting another visit in with the globe and finishing up a multiple location geocache from the day before.
Blues Brothers making the audience participate!
End of the show
Bluesmobile
Got another, better picture with the globe
Picture at Cowfish Grille, for a geocache
The performances by the high schoolers were great, even under the beating Florida sun.
Band performance
My daughter walking in for the Orchestra performance
Taking their bow
In between performance, I took a peek at the display for the new park opening May 2025--Universal Epic Universe. I am excited about the Dark Universe section (classic Universal monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein's monster) and the Super Mario Land. They will also have a How To Train Your Dragon area and the Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter.
Display of new park
The choir singing
When the concerts were done, chaperones returned with the instrument bus to the hotel and unloaded everything. Then we returned to the park.
Since I had already ridden everything I wanted to, I re-rode Rip Ride Rockit and Revenge of the Mummy.
More musical fun!
More mummy fun!
Also in the area is Jimmy Fallon's Race through New York City, which I had read wasn't very good. The line was very short, so I gave it a try, just ot get out of the sunshine. It was mildly entertaining but definitely a third-tier ride.
Walking through the studio, with pics of the Tonight Rider
After that, I headed back to the Marvel area to ride Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk again. Both were delightful. The park had a little afternoon rain which was a welcome cooloff.
An amazing adventure
I went the Captain America's Diner and had chicken fingers which were nice if slow in coming. By that point there was less than an hour to go before departure, so I wandered a bit taking pictures.
Cap's Cafe
View from the cafe
Daily Bugle Building
I didn't not re-ride Doctor Doom's Fearfall
Twilight of the parks
The Hulk Coaster was probably my favorite
We returned to the hotel tired but ready for our next day at Disney.
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