HARRY POTTER TRAIN RIDE

If you've read the Harry Potter novels or seen the movies, you must have dreamed of taking a ride for yourself on the Hogwarts Express to get to the fabled school of witchcraft and wizardry that these stories revolve around. My kids were so geeked to be able to ride this steam engine during a visit to the theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort. All aboard for a Harry Potter themed train ride!

Universal Orlando Resort has created a trolley that replicates the Hogwarts Express from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. While it looks like a great big locomotive this is actually an electric powered cable car that transports riders between two of the resort's theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure). Thanks to the magic of special effects though riders are provided with the look and feel of going on a train ride across the English countryside. 

Your ticket to riding the Hogwarts Express is purchasing multi-park passes so you can visit both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks in Orlando, Florida on the same day. Without the multi-park pass you can visit either Diagon Alley (Universal Studios) or Hogwarts Castle (Islands of Adventure) in the theme park you have passes for but you can't traverse between the two via a Harry Potter train ride. So if you want to ride the Hogwarts Express be prepared to visit both Universal Orlando Resort theme parks in the same day.

You can hop on the train from either King Cross Station or the Hogsmeade Station located in the village at the base of Hogwarts Castle. I recommend starting off in Universal Studios because it provides the most immersive experience to make Harry Potter fans feel as if they are part of the Wizarding World and replicates the pattern of events from the stories. Pay a visit to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies and some delicious snacks. Then disappear into Platform 9 ¾ to catch a ride on the Hogwarts Express.

A lot of people miss this special effect but you can actually take pictures and videos of walking through a brick wall to catch the train. For those not paying attention it appears you are just walking through a hallway on your way to the train platform. But between markers for Platform 9 and 10 is a nook off to the side of the ride queue line that provides a view of people walking through a brick wall to get to Platform  9 ¾. If you snooze you lose so don't miss out on this magical photo op available at the Kings Cross Station. Remember if you only have time to ride the train once during your visit and depart from Islands of Adventure going to Universal Studios there won't be a chance to have your own Platform  9 ¾ moment.

Here are a few other interesting tidbits about the Kings Cross Station at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando. Pre-pandemic there would be street musicians entertaining folks in the queue lines just like you might come across in a real London train station. Hopefully they will return when things get back to normal. Plus the train schedule posted at Kings Cross Station with actual scheduled travel routes taking place that day in England. Oh and keep an eye out for an animatronic Hedwig while waiting to board the train to Hogwarts.

Once you are on the Hogwarts Express you can look at the window to view a fantasy landscape go by. The windows are actually video screens that make it seem as if you are a part of a Harry Potter story. Pulling out from the urban train station Hedwig the Owl soars down to fly next to the train as it rumbles through neighborhoods of London townhouses. 

As the owl flies off, Dementors begin chasing the train for a scary experience. Passengers dodge them though as the train goes through a tunnel. Then comes some comic relief when Arthur Weasley’s car, the Flying Ford Anglia, crashes in front of your eyes. Finally Hagrid zooms in on his motorbike to escort you into the train station as you are provided a view of Hogwarts Castle in the distance. Exit the train for fun experiences at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry including what has become my favorite ride at these theme parks Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure roller coaster.

Guess what?! If you head back on the train to Kings Cross Station there is different imagery to take in through your passenger cabin windows. As you depart Hogsmeade Station, Hagrid is on the platform waving goodbye and then Buckbeak flies by the train.  The Weasley twins escort you for awhile and provide a fireworks show. Then the Knight Bus whizzes about the train to guide you into the London station. 

Don't just look out the windows during the entire ride though. Because if you look at the door to your train compartment during your trip it is likely you will see the shadows of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they walk by. Listen closely and you can even eavesdrop on their conversation. Harry Potter fans are sure to appreciate this close encounter with these characters as if they were really right next to you.

Yes it cost some extra money to take a Harry Potter train ride but the smiles and sounds of delight from my children made it absolutely worthwhile. They were ecstatic about our Hogwarts Express experience. It really made them feel like they were part of the Wizarding World as they sat with their wands out ready to ward off any Dementors or Death Eaters that might slip onto the train. If you have friends or family who are big Harry Potter fans like my kids are they will be geeked to take part in this train ride.

Check Out JURASSIC WORLD Through its Park Cams Before the June Opening

Can't wait to check out the JURASSIC WORLD theme park?  You may want to visit its official website that is full of information including a map of  Isla Nublar, the day's temperature on the island, the current attendance, attraction overviews, and trivia.  It even has " live park cam" feeds so you can get a first hand behind the scenes look at staff mucking out dinosaur pens, eggs getting ready to crack open in the hatchery, staff working in the creation lab, or how long the line is to ride the gyrosphere from your PC or mobile device.  It really is a great website chock-full of information about the theme park and the dinosaurs on exhibit.

 

 

If you want to always be at the front of the line and get exclusive first access to news about JURASSIC WORLD or updates to the website before they are unlocked to the public sign up for a RAPTOR PASS. Provide your name and e-mail to be sent special alerts about JURASSIC WORLD and you'll be included in the VIP list of fans who gets details first.  Hey all I needed to know was that Jurassic World has its own Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville to be sold that this is my kinda place!

While unfortunately we can't visit a real dinosaur theme park, JURASSIC WORLD will be opening to the public on movie screens at theaters across the United States on June 12, 2015.

They've really done a top-notch job with the movie's website that provides an authentic feel of an amusement park.  I encourage you to check it out before going to see the movie because it really does provide you a nice orientation of the scenery and helps set up the plot so you can dive right into the adventure...just don't dive into the Mosasaurus pool.

You are going to see the movie?!  I've been a fan of these dinosaur movies since I first saw the rippling water glass scene introducing the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. So you know I'll be going to the theater to see Jurassic World because you really need to watch a movie about dinosaurs on a "big" screen.  This seems like a perfect movie for an IMAX experience.  So bring on the T-Rex, Indominus Rex, and Velociraptors.  It will be an interesting twist in this movie that I'll be looking out for as it appears the villainous raptors may be playing the part of heroes in this chapter of the Jurassic movie saga.

Pictures & Video in this post (C) Universal Pictures - use for movie promotion only

So would you go to a real life Jurassic World theme park like the one portrayed in this movie? Share with us which dinosaur you would be most excited to see at a real life amusement park or in JURASSIC WORLD the movie.  Leave a comment below or tweet @Geeky_Dad with the hashtag #JURASSICGEEK.

Visit the movie website at  jurassicworld.com

Wouldn't it be cool to be a professional Etch-A-Sketchist? Woman turns passion for Etch-A-Sketch into a career

One of the best ways to develop a successful career is to find a niche for yourself that you have a passion for.  I recently met Jane Labowitch, at Disney's "On the Road" Bloggers Conference in Chicago, who has taken that advice to heart turning her love of the classic Etch-A-Sketch into a professional career. Jane travels the country under the moniker Princess Etch-A-Sketch attending corporate events, private parties, and other happenings where she is booked to create one of a kind portraits of guests or to provide interesting creations for people to enjoy.  At the Disney "On the Road" event I attended, Princess-Etch-A-Sketch was re-creating popular scenes from Disney movies and provided one lucky winner whose name was pulled out of a hat (well Mickey Ears to be specific) with a personalize portrait.

While it would probably take me a few hours to draw a crude stick figure recreation of the Shootout at the OK Corral on an Etch-a-Sketch, Labowitch can create highly detailed caricatures of people within 5-7 minutes and can normally handle doing 10-12 per hour at an event.  She has a process in place so that once the drawing is completed it can't be erased and people can take home an Etch-a-Sketch she provides them with their portrait on it as a nice fun momento.  In addition to creating people's portraits, Labowitch can be commissioned to create art exhibits featuring unique images displayed on Etch-a-Sketch boards that will amaze and wow people.

Labowitch has been tinkering with etch-a-sketch's since she was 4 years old.  All the time she spent playing with the toy helped inspired an interest in art which led to her graduating from the American Academy of Art in Chicago with a BFA in illustration.  Once she had her degree, Labowitch turned to her passion with Etch-a-Sketch that led her down an artistic path in life to create a career.   Since launching Princess Etch-A-Sketch, Jane has been booked for events across the country ranging from Los Angeles to New York.  So what does Ohio Art, the maker of Etch-A-Sketch think of what Labowitch is doing?  They commissioned her to go to Paris and sketch out recreations of some of the world's greatest works of art on their product.  Labowitch has even caught Disney's eye, which commissioned her to do Etch-a-Sketch portraits of their theme park castles (check them out here on the Disney blog) and invited her to participate in their Disney "On the Road" tour which had stops in Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix this year which provided the opportunity for me to meet her.

I have to say that Princess Etch-a-Sketch's talent to create detailed portraits on a child's toy by spinning around some round plastic knobs that shift around aluminum powder and beads across a small display screen is truly impressive.  Jane Labowitch being able to transform a dream into a career is an inspirational example to all of us that if you put in hard work and effort it is possible to turn a passion into a profitable and fulfilling career.  If you would like to see more of Labowitch's work or contact her about booking an event, visit www.princessetchasketch.com.