Sorry bout the bumps at the start but does get better quickly. and then both video and sound are amazing! Got such a good place to stand tonight for this amazing wonderful show at #UniversalOrlando #UniversalStudios Had a perfect view of the #fountains #fireworks lights and sound. Somehow having the people in front of me, made the video look even more amazing. Their silhouettes made a great frame. It is truly a treat for the senses!

10 HOUR WAIT??!!! WOW! It is tough for us, but this is the reason we usually wait a bit of time to allow new attractions to simmer down a bit. The new Hagrid coaster wait is into the next day pretty much. I'm sure it will be a great ride, but not sure if I would be strong enough to brave this wait. 

In a word creepy. In more words, so much horror and terror and scary in one place, it is sure to satisfy the appetite of any horror show buff! We love the off the beaten path things at all the parks in Central Florida. Things that people who are rushing through a few days or a week on vaca here might miss. Yes the big things are super important to catch, but sometimes the gems are in the corners too which is what I hope people will get from our site.

I have 2 sets of pics here from the Horror Make Up Show lobby at Universal Studios Orlando Florida. The first gallery of 35 pics you see here is taken on whats called a dynamic setting on my camera. It makes the colors pop and gives the pics a vibrant and intense animated appearance. I love all the history and information on a movie genre I was a major fan of in the old days, but what stands out from that day was getting in really close to take a close up of the creepy clown figure and getting the overwhelming feeling of my fight or flight reflex gearing up and my skin crawling. I expected that at some point I would get close enough to his face that he would come alive, grab me and pull me into another world. No matter how much I told myself it was a wax figure and I was at a park, my instincts would not allow me to stay close for too long. THAT is the sign of a great exhibit! 

The slideshow below are 68 regular pics of the other side of the lobby so no dynamic effect but very cool regardless! The left side of the lobby is the older more classic horror movies. It's beginnings or genesis. Where it all began. If you are a horror movie fan, watch the slideshow...you'll love it. 

This is at Universal Studios year around to see. Not only at Halloween. Make sure you catch it when you are there. Too many cool details to pass up! 

I could not believe how gorgeous this came out!!!

This was an unexpected fun little show at Universal Orlando's Island's of Adventure in a little store off the beaten path that many people may not even know exists. This was in the Lost Continent and was very fun. We actually saw this just the 2 of us, myself and my husband who loves anything pirate and then liked it enough to bring the kids back a second time to see it but it was a different character which was equally as fun. The medallions were also very nice.

13 pic slideshow...

​Meeting the Raptor from Jurassic World. Blue is awesome. So realistic. So scary but also so much fun. We had 2 cameras going. The selfie one and the one we handed to the cast people there to take from a distance. We also got some great stuff waiting in line. This is definitely one of the coolest meet and greets ever! You know it is not real and basically a giant toy, but your instincts still kick in and make you want to run and get away as it jumps at you. The last time we met Kira which was a regular red brown raptor. This one is newer and it's eyes blink, it's pupils contract and it moves more realistically than the last one. Just an awesome experience and awesome day!

Watching and listening to the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra play music from the Harry Potter movies was one of my absolute favorite experiences in Florida. Any Harry Potter fan should be here for the next one. Be sure to join the Facebook page below to be able to get notified of Day 2 and Day3 posts on this blog. Lots more great stuff to see and hear! 

Our daughter began the Harry Potter fandom in our home although the first movie came out when I was pregnant with her. We saw the first movie then in 2001 and lost touch with the series until she became of age to want to repeatedly read the books. at which point the movie marathon became a twice a year thing for our family and made us all avid fans. When we moved down to Fla in 2013 we did not have the ability to go to Universal as we only had passes for Disney and could not do both. In 2017 that changed and we were so happy to be able to attend our first Celebration of Harry Potter at the Universal Festival. We knew it would be great and got our tee shirts but had no idea of what was in store for us. It was truly inspiring to be surrounded by everything Harry Potter. This post and my next 2 will be our 3 days at the Festival and all of the events we saw. There were many more that we did not get to do and hope to next time. If you are a fan of HP, and you have a chance, you should get down here for this next year. It is beyond wonderful!   

The first day we walked in to hear the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra warming up and practicing the music from the Harry Potter movies (video below). We didn't know at that point, but it was for the event later on where they showed parts of the films behind the stage with the full orchestra playing the music to those scenes live. I will never have chills like I did during that!! Before that happened, they brought the talent out on stage to say hi. The 2nd day which I will post soon, we got to listen to and watch the talent talk on stage from almost the front row. This year we saw James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Stanislav Lanevski (Viktor Krum),  Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley). It was amazing to listen to them talk and especially about how it was for them to see Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade and Hogwarts the first time coming to Universal and how immersive and overwhelming it was for them and different than the filming in front of green screens. The whole event gave me chills in an awesome way. Will be doing 2 more posts for Day 2 and 3 with more amazing things to see and experience. Come down next year and do this!  

I put this video on bc I love it. Have not seen many videos of Ralph Fiennes talking about being Voldemort and this one is just awesome. I was shocked when I realized this was him. I had liked him in Maid in Manhattan a long time ago and it was only when I saw his eyes in one shot as Voldemort that I made the connection that this is the same man. He is so handsome and it amazes me that they were able to make him look so evil. He is an amazing actor to put so much into this part. 

OMG what an amazing weekend and amazing day and tour. My husband is legally blind and can not see things unless close up so the wonderful people at the 2018 Harry Potter expo were so kind and wonderful to give us a private tour of the special effects from the movie right at the end of the festival. It was awesome. We had 2 cameras going so this is just one of the videos which focused on things from one angle while the other camera got other views. Lots of great pics too. We feel lucky we got to be at Universal Orlando for the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter as well as the last time they were doing the festival at least for now. We have heard that it is not happening this year and are not sure why. Know that we had 2 cameras going so the videos and pics below are not duplicates but rather a bit of a different perspective. 

Picture slideshow below. You can pause and also scroll through at your own speed. 

*Remember that the following are not duplicates but rather pics and vids from the 2nd camera which sometimes took other things. Picture slideshow below. You can pause and also scroll through at your own speed. ​