Wizards With Wi

I've been living in Orlando for essentially 8 years now. You would think that hanging out at Universal Studios wouldn't be such a big deal. But gurl you would be mistaken! Today I got to have a Universal play day with my sister from another mister, and let me tell you, there were shenanigans for all!

1) Other than attending Halloween Horror Nights every year since I've lived here in Orlando, I had not visited Universal since 2011. That is 4 years ago. FOUR YEARS.

2) My friend Wi texted me a couple of weeks ago saying she'd be in Orlando for a conference. I got super excited! What's that? What is a "Wi"? Let me explain. Wayyy back in the day, when I was a wee teenager dancing at The Studio, there were many MANY young ladies named Laura, two of whom were in my class. So we called them by the first initial of their last names. There was a Woo, short for Wootton and a Wi, short for Williams. Make sense? I hope so because we're moving on.

WI! This will be 9 years ago
this summer. NINE YEARS.

Wi and I decided it would be easiest to meet at Universal and have a play day. Which is perfect because (as I said before, you may recall) I haven't visited the Universal parks in yeeears! The parks opened up a new Harry Potter section last year that I still had yet to see. So yeah that was definitely what Wi and I were doing today. 

Btw, thank you Aaron for getting us into the parks today. We need to have a drinking night or a video game night (or both!!) sometime soon.

So with great excitement I attempted to get some sleep last night. HA! What a laugh. I maybe slept for four hours. I hadn't felt this excited about visiting a theme park since last summer when the family visited Disneyland for the first time ever. (And what a coincidink, Wi was there for that too!) This is a pretty big feat too because I don't get excited about visiting theme parks. It's Florida. It's hot. I hate hot. But I couldn't wait to be first years together with Wi!! It was going to be so much fun!

And it WAS so much fun!! We had a lot to do before attending our first year at Hogwarts. We had a get our robes and our wands and our animals!! Okay not really. But we did to go Gringotts to pull out some money, and while we were there some Death Eaters arrived along with He Who Shall Not Be Named. It was scurry. Okay not really. Escape from Gringotts was alright, but Diagon Alley was absolutely amazing! And so was King's Cross. And so was walking onto Platform 9 3/4. Just... gah. I was freaking out! On the inside of course. I rarely freak out for real, but on the inside I was Aunt Sue from SNL. It was all so cool! Kudos on the design team to put it all together so quickly and so magnificently. Now if only Disney could follow suit.. *ahem* 

So yeah. There was Butterbeer and chocolate frogs and flying cars and dementors and spiders (EEK!) and dragons and hippogriffs! Whoa. That was all in the first hour. There was also lots of screaming but mostly giggling on ALL the roller coasters (not roller coaster-type rides) that Universal has to offer. You see, neither Wi nor myself scream during thrill rides like normal people. No. We laugh. Hysterically. And it's awesome. We also apparently attract wannabe theme park know-it-alls and cheer squads wearing nothing but tanks and spanx. Guh-ross.

*sigh* It was all such a fun time. Oh! On the way out we had to ride an oldie but a goodie... The Mummy ride! Do not fret, people. It is just as fantastic as it was when I first rode it back in 2007. That ride will never get old. Just like those movies. So cheesy. So horrible. So awesome! Okay enough chit chat. Here are a few pictures. You are all so welcome! 

Just as excited (or scared) whether it's going to Hogwarts
or meeting a fire-breathing dragon

There are some GEMS in this picture
*please note the screaming child in front*

Yes there are things to do at Universal beyond Harry Potter.
Just ask the happiest nerd alive.

Yes today was so good! Yes you should all be jealous. Yes I do have to wake up in three hours to go to work all day. Thank you so much for asking! Am I tired? Of course not! Today was way too much fun, and I can't wait until I have another park day like this soon. Hopefully it's sooner than four years from now. Urgh okay now I'm just blabbering. Off to bed with thee! I leave you with one picture from Teen Girl Squad just because it's...

DEUCES!!