23 03, 2019

Souvenir Saturday: Ravenclaw House Pride

By |March 23rd, 2019|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

It's Ravenclaw House Pride Day! I've shared my Ravenclaw Robes before, but here are some of the other Ravenclaw items I got at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

11 11, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Candy from Harry Potter Part 3

By |November 11th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This is the last in the 3 part series of my favorite candy you can get at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I got these on a whim, and they are so delicious! There are multiple versions of the snowflakes and they have a nice peppermint flavor in the white chocolate, which a little shimmer on the top! And finally, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans! These are just as classic as Chocolate Frogs! Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

14 10, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Candy from Harry Potter Part 1

By |October 14th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

For the next few weeks I'm going to share my favorite candy you can get at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! This week I'm sharing my favorite Honeydukes branded product, sherbet lemons! Well actually the more just Lemon Drops, but I share this affinity with Albus Dumbledore. At Honeydukes you can buy these pre-packaged, or empty ones that you fill up. Another sugary candy is the Sugar Quill. This is another one mentioned in the books. This version is a lolly pop, but if you dip the black part in water it will let you write for a little bit.

19 08, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Butterbeer Mugs

By |August 19th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

At Universal Orlando, there are actually two types of Butterbeer mugs you can get. The original version (shown on the right) is found in the Hogsmeade section and is more of a stein shape. But if you head over to the Fountain of Fair Fortune at Diagon Alley, you'll find this mug with an elevated and curved shape. At either area you can get traditional Butterbeer, or my favorite the frozen kind! Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

27 05, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Olivanders Wands

By |May 27th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Every Harry Potter fan dreams of getting their first Ollivanders wand. I picked the above Birch wand for its natural look and good grip. I also picked up the Ginny Weasley character wand. It's a nice sleek wand with a grip that is both simple and ornate at the same time. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

22 05, 2017

Travel Missteps: Shop Till You Drop

By |May 22nd, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Like most of my travel mistakes, this one is due to trying to do too much in too little time. Last year when I had a business trip in Disney World, I decided to try to do as much Disney and Universal in just 2 days. On Saturday, I did a whirlwind visit to Disney Hollywood Studios and Walt Disney World until I could bearly walk. I also did a lot of shopping, and had it sent the next day to my hotel's store for pickup. The problem was, you could only pick it up when the hotel's store was

2 06, 2016

Dueling Dragons Queue Theming

By |June 2nd, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I'm afraid of heights. While sometimes I will test this fear, one thing I just cannot handle is very fast roller coasters, or ones that make you go upside down. But when visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter I decided I had to see the Triwizard Tournament Dragon Challenge theming for the Dueling Dragon coasters, even if I wasn't going to ride it. On my second day I had early admission so I entered the queue and slowly walked through it, waving others past me. First you'll see the banners for the 4 champions. As you walk you'll see the

9 05, 2016

Travel Missteps: Not the Hogwarts Express

By |May 9th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

England had some pretty disappointing train trips. I traveled there in the summer of 2002. I remember being a Senior in high school, and dashing through Kings Cross station late at night, to try to catch a glimpse of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Why? Because I wanted to act out and take a photo pretending to gain access to Platform 9 3/4! Imagine my surprise and disappointment to find that platform 9 and 10 are in separate areas! (Now they actually have a photo op elsewhere in the station, but it was dark times for early fans.) So,

31 10, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Ravenclaw Robes

By |October 31st, 2015|Categories: Geek, Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

A few years ago I fulfilled a childhood dream of going to Hogwarts. I had already learned from Pottermore that I was sorted into Ravenclaw. For years I had thought myself Gryffindor but realized my mistake and found my home in the Claws. So I dutifully got myself my House gear when I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Here I am dressed in my Ravenclaw robes, sweater, and tie for Halloween 2012 I'm your typical Ravenclaw student, I love learning so much I have a Time Turner! Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on