Universal Studios

Day three in the parks we went to Universal Studios.  They really know how to hook you!  The only reason we added a day at this theme park to the trip was for Harry Potter world.  This one day was especially for our sweet Lexi, the world's biggest Harry Potter fan.  Going to this park was her birthday present.  Universal has two parks.  Half of the Harry Potter attractions are in one park.  The other half are in the other park.  They are connected by the Hogwarts express.  So if you want to ride the Express and see both sections of Harry Potter world, you have to purchase a (much more expensive) park hopper ticket.  Which we did.  But the park was truly amazing.  We really felt like we were in Diagon Alley and at Howarts/Hogsmeade.  The buildings were fantastic.  The rides were completely immersive.  And the butter beer was...well, it was ok.  To be honest, the butter beer that Christi brewed for Sophi and Lexi's Harry Potter party blew it away:)  Overall, it was a fantastic day that was truly magical for this Harry Potter loving family!

So excited!

Patiently waiting for the long line at disability assistance :)

One particularly special experience was the incredible wizard at Ollivander's.  He was completely convincing as he helped the kids select the correct wand for them.  You felt like Harry Potter was real!  It was particularly touching when Lexi had her turn.  (Sadly we didn't get any video).  She was SOOOO excited and got a bit emotional.  Several of the workers also shed some tears.  What a magical, wonderful experience!

While Conner's wand was choosing him, most of the time it was too dark for video, but you can get a feel for how fantastic it was from the audio in this clip:

Two cuties loving their wands!

Gringotts in the background.

A nice witch trains Lexi on the use of her wand:

Enjoying our frozen butter beer:

Excited to be at platform 9 3/4:

All aboard!

We made it to Hogwarts!

Ready for the tri-wizard tournament!

Universal also had some less themed, more thrilling rides outside of Harry Potter.  Xander really learned to enjoy roller coasters here.  All in all, another fantastic day!!!

Epcot

On day two in the parks we went to Epcot.  This was the only day of the trip where the heat was almost unbearable.  It was mid-afternoon on the second day of our five in the parks, and I seriously thought there was no way I was going to make it.  My body was so exhausted that while the family went on Mission: Space, I laid down on a cement bench and took a nap.  It was late afternoon.  I dozed for about 30 minutes and the temperature dropped substantially during that timeframe.  When I woke up, I felt much better and was able to really enjoy the rest of the trip.

Epcot had fewer rides than the other parks, but it was tremendously beautiful.  It has food from around the world.  Some of us had Italian, others had French, and others (gasp!) had Chinese:).   The flower gardens were amazing.  And Epcot has one of our very favorite rides: Soarin'.  It recently changed from Soarin' over California to Soarin' over the World, so we were able to go back and visit the great wall of China.

Our younger kids can't wait to drive:

Posing with the floral sculptures was a must.  They were incredible!  (If you can't tell, Sophi LOVES to be photographed!!!)

That's Lady and the Tramp behind us.

In the Mexico area we enjoyed the music of a Mariachi band.  Conner and Lexi wanted to dance.  I also love Sophi's little wiggles at the end of this. (The devices that Conner and Lex have around their necks are descriptive services.  They tell visually impaired people what some of the sights are as they walk through the park.)

For Lexi and Conner the sounds were very important.  They liked this waterfall:

Cutest Stitch EVER!

Cutest BB8 EVER!!!

In front of the iconic Epcot ball

With my Honey!

Good Night, Epcot!

Hollywood Studios

For our first day in the parks, we visited Disney's Hollywood studios.  This was pretty much a perfect day!  The weather was hot, but not ridiculously so.  A short rain in the afternoon brought a welcome cooling effect.  We loved the Tower of Terror, Rockin' Rollercoaster and many other rides and shows.  Several of us got to meet Mickey and other characters.  So much fun!!!

All of the characters were so good about letting Lexi and Conner "see" them with their hands.

We were all in the front row of Tower of Terror.  Everyone except me seemed to know when the picture was coming.  What the heck is that expression on my face???

Apparently I knew when this shot was coming!

Goodbye Hollywood Studios!