Newport Beach: Part 4

On one of the days, I went with my parents and siblings to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios. PE stayed home with the kids since he doesn't like Harry Potter, and the kids know nothing about it. (And it is expensive!!!)

Hogsmeade was packed! There were too many people everywhere. It was hard to look in stores because of all the people. Zonko's was disappointing, it was basically just one wall in Honeydukes Sweetshop. Honeydukes was decent, but pricey and too many customers!!! I did buy a chocolate frog ($11), and 2 bottles of pumpkin juice ($15) to bring home. I liked the pumpkin juice; it tasted like an apple cider, but with pumpkin in it.

Ollivanders Shop was a fun experience. I had read that you had to wait in line to experience the wand shop, because they take a group of 20 or so at a time and choose one of you to do a wand fitting. I found the place to wait, but as we found the back of the line, we began to think that it most be for the Hogwarts ride. But alas, the line was really that long just to go into the wand shop. They did a good job though, and it was fun to watch. After the experience, they funnel you into the actual wand store where you can buy your own for a mere $50.  They are really neat wands though, and you can get a character's specific wand like Hermione's. It was fun to go through and look at all the different wands.

Harry Potter World only has 2 rides. So we got in line for the "Forbidden Journey." It is the one that takes you through Hogwarts. We found the line, and it didn't seem too bad. After being outside for 30-40 minutes, we finally made it into the castle! And we were funneled into the mad house that is the locker room. Apparently you couldn't take any bags with you on the ride, so everyone had to find a locker. I have never been more claustrophobic in my life. The lockers were pretty high tech, they used your fingerprint to unlock your locker. But honestly, it was absolutely horrible.

Once we survived the locker room, we were pointed in the direction of the ride. We were almost there, yay! And then we ran into the line, and had to wait some more. And then we made it around the next corner, and found more line. And then we made it into the next room, and found more line. It was torturous! 

We finally made it back into the castle (a good portion of the line was outside in the herbology greenhouse). And in the castle was more line. But the castle was a little bit more interesting. The photographs actually moved and talked. Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked to you in one room, and the visual effects were quite good.

I was convinced that there was no way in the world that this ride would be worth the wait. But it actually surprised me, and I loved the ride. It was fantastic, and the 3D was extremely well done.

We ate at The Three Broomsticks. We had to wait in line just to be able to get inside. And once inside, we got to wait in line again. Finally we were able to order, and the cheapest plate was $14. Yikes! And then we waited in line to pick up our food, and then we waited in line to be seated. I had a frozen butterbeer and it was pretty good. The fish and chips were decent, and the dessert was delicious! I had the sticky toffee pudding, and it was amazing!

The Flight of the Hippogriff was a decent little roller coaster ride, although once again, the line was super long.

Honestly, I was disappointed in Harry Potter World. But to be fair, I think I would have liked it much better if it hadn't been so crowded.

However, I really enjoyed the rest of Universal Studios. It is definitely worth a visit in your lifetime. The Studio Tours was my favorite. It was fun to see where they make movies, and the 3D experiences while on the tour were outstanding. Absolutely incredible.

I'm glad that I went, but all the 3D rides gave me a headache by the end of the day. I don't think it is as kid friendly as Disneyland, but definitely good for teens+. I feel like Disneyland is a little bit better bang for your buck. And Disneyland is always fun to visit again. So while it was fun, I don't think I need to go back to Universal Studios anytime soon.

Newport Beach:Part 3

Fun in the sun! The mornings were usually overcast and a little chilly, but the afternoons were perfect for the beach!

P2 hated the beach. The waves scared her, and she didn't even like playing in the sand because it was "dirty."

Grandpa was the master sand castle builder, and P1 was the master destroyer.

I caught a fish with my hands twice. This poor little fish was swimming on his side, and I caught him. But then I noticed that one of his eyes had been pecked out. Gross! I threw him back in, but he just washed up on the shore a few minutes later. I was going to just leave him, but some other girls were trying to save him, and would squeal when he would start flopping around. So I went and tossed him back in the water. And then a seagull flew down and grabbed him. Poor fish. 

P1 was willing to get in the water as long as he had a hand to hold onto. He also liked filling the buckets up with water, but the waves usually tried to carry him and the bucket away.  He would take the water back to the sand castles, and use it to wash his hands and feet. Once, he had both feet and both hands in the bucket at the same time. It was hilarious, and he almost tipped over. I wish I had a picture.

Newport Beach: Part 2

Our beach house was right on the beach, which was awesome! This was the view from our porch:

Sunday morning we found a LDS church to attend. During church, they had all the visitors raise a hand, and a good 3/4 of the congregation were visitors. It was a good meeting. Grandma took P2 to nursery, and was actually able to leave her there. I took P1 to primary and had to stay with him during sharing time. They practiced a song for Father's Day, and P2 sang it super loud. The leaders asked if he would be here on Father's Day, because they really liked his enthusiasm. I was able to leave when he went to class and go to Relief Society with my mom and sister. I was glad we had stayed the whole time, because the Relief Society lesson was really good. On Fast Sunday, they ask someone to share "Why I Believe" for the lesson. The sister that shared this week did a wonderful job, and it was so fun to hear her story. She and her husband (and 2 kids) have lived in a few different countries where they have been teachers. One place was Saudi Arabia, and it was fun to hear what it was like to live there. I kept thinking that this is what PE would have loved to have done. I love to hear other people's stories.

After church and naps, we went exploring. Grandpa brought some airplanes that P1 loved trying to fly.

They have a park on the beach, and P2 loved that. I think it was her favorite place on the beach.

While we were walking, someone commented how P1 was the best dressed at the beach.

Walking on the pier: