THANKSGIVING Day at Disney World

So Thanksgiving was a little bit different....

Although the Disney employees were so sweet and wished EVERYONE a "Happy Thanksgiving" every which way they turned,

it was still weird to not be playing in a "Turkey Bowl" or preparing food for a evening feast.

We spent the day at Epcot- which was delightful.

Not only because the weather was beautiful, but the crowds were less!

(Probably enjoying a nice Thanksgiving meal at home... weirdos...)

We rode a few rides...

and Jon found his dream car.

We had to wipe the drool off the floor.

How embarrassing.

Epcot is home to many different countries...

Mexico

 Norway

 China

(Gotta rub the Buddha belly)

 Germany

 Italy

America!!!

 Japan

Morocco

 

In Morocco, we did indeed find the Persian Princess.

No, not Jasmine- silly.

 

 We made it to France...

 England

 Jon met up with "The Beatles" there.

And LAST (but not least)

Canada!

 Beautiful day at Epcot.

 We ended the day looking for Thanksgiving dinner...

our experience was much like that one on the "Santa Clause".

You know... the dad burns the turkey and they go searching for dinner but everywhere they go is closed and they end up going to Denny's but they're all out of whip cream and pumpkin pie?

Yeah.

Turns out lots of places are closed on Thanksgiving... so we found a Golden Corral... but I'm pretty sure every white trash American was there (including us) because the line was out the door.

So we left.

And went to TGI Fridays.

It wasn't quite turkey and mashed potatoes- but it was tasty.

But I lied. 

We didn't end the day looking for dinner.

We ended the day at Downtown Disney.

We wandered through some Disney shops...

 and ENDED our Thanksgiving Day at Cirque du Soleil.

Which was jaw dropping.

Phenomenal.

Incredible.

We loved it.

Thanksgiving at Disney World (Episode 4)

Wednesday was probably the most anticipated day of the WHOLE vacation...

for it was the day we were to venture into the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter".

And it did not disappoint.

We got up early and got to Universal a half hour before it opened... there were already lines and everyone was planning on making the mad dash to Harry Potter as soon as they opened.

We joined the throng and made that mad dash as well- because, of course, Harry Potter World is in the BACK of the park.

Anyway- when we rounded the corner and saw THIS....

 we almost wet out pants.

Not gonna lie.

 It was magical...

We felt like we'd finally made it home ;)

 

We hopped in line and the wait time was 60 minutes to get inside the castle! When we came OUT of the castle the wait time was 120 minutes. The place was packed.

"House Points" hourglasses

Entry to Dumbledore's office...

We stood there for a while and shouted 

"Fizzing Whizbee!"

and

"Lemon Drop!"

but it didn't work....

 The inside of the castle looked JUST like the movies...

 The Sorting Hat

 The ride inside the castle was pretty amazing. Afterwards you feel like you've gone all over Hogwarts and the grounds. We almost got our life sucked away by Dementors but Harry saved us.

We came back outside and we found some Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students...

 After the castle, we wandered into Hogsmeade...

Where we found Chocolate frogs at Honeydukes... 

(I love the kids face behind me!)

 

We had lunch at the Three Broomsticks...

 I half expected to find Harry, Hermione and Ron whispering in the corner...

And don't forget the butter beer-

OH the butter beer. I have never tasted anything so good.

It's pure ambrosia.

 

We are already on a quest to recreate the butter beer masterpiece.

 Num, num, pumpkin juice!

 The Hogwarts Express...

sigh...

if only.

 And we did a little bit more wandering around the shops in Hogsmeade...

 There was a TWO hour wait to get into Ollivander's!

Yeah...  as much as we wanted a wand, we just couldn't hack it.

 

The "Dragon Challenge" roller coaster... Jon rode it 5 times.

 

We figured since we were IN Universal park... that maybe we should ride some of their other rides as well. 

We COULD have stayed in Harry Potter world all day... pretending to not be Muggles and wishing we were Wizards.

Oh well- this ride was like Splash Mountain on STERIODS! 

Stay dry?

Fuh-get about it.

We got soaked. Utterly and completely soaked. It was nuts.

Our whole Universal gang... soaking wet.

We look like drowned rats.

 "The Hulk" rollercoaster...

And yes- Jon rode it multiple times.

How'd you know?

As the sun began to set... we had to go back and say "good-bye" one last time to Hogwarts.

 I still can't believe my parents didn't send me to Hogwarts when I was 11.

I missed my calling in life.

I obviously should have been a part of Gryffindor.