As an addendum to my last travel tip, this week's tip is "Never purchase anything in a high pressure situation." I mentioned attending several time share presentations as well as sitting though a non-time share vacation package deal (which was very similar to owning a time share unit except that they didn't have a physical home base). In each presentation, we were offered a "special one time offer" that would be off the table once we left the presentation. The presentations were also very manipulative, using leading questions to get you to say what they wanted you to say, and sometimes turning your words around so that it made it look like you said what they wanted you to say. In every case, they highlighted certain aspects of the package while glossing over other parts by vaguely mentioning mentioning them - such as "just a yearly maintenance fee." Of course these maintenance fees are outrageously high and often go up every year - I know because my parents have purchased two time shares. Once you decline, your salesperson goes and gets his supervisor, who tries to sweeten the deal "just for you" because you look like a nice couple. When you turn that down, they sweeten the deal even more, and turn up the heat by saying, "but you have to sign right now." Of course, when you turn it down again, your sales representative is visibly upset because he gets most of his money on commission. A couple of times, the deals sounded too good to pass up and we asked for additional time to go home and consider it. Whenever we stuck by our motto and didn't buy the package, we were always glad in hindsight. The one time we caved in and bought a vacation package in such a situation, we regretted it soon after. Luckily it was a one time deal instead of a long term, high investment purchase.
As I mentioned before, my parents have purchased two time shares. They have provided some fun times with the family, but there are some definite drawbacks: 1) Once a time share resort has sold all their available slots, they have less incentive to keep the resort looking as nice as they did when they were still actively selling packages. 2) The yearly maintenance fees are so high that it's often cheaper to book your vacation at a comparable resort for a one time price despite your sizable initial investment. 3) Every time you book your time share, you are invited to attend another presentation to upgrade your experience. 4) It is practically impossible to book your time share for a time during the "in season" unless you upgrade your package for additional costs. 5) If you don't use your time share within a certain period of time, you basically lose your slot for the year. 6) Although you can technically trade your time share slot at your home base for a slot at another location (different state or country), actually doing so is such a headache that it usually isn't worth it. 7) If you really want a time share, you can find them much cheaper on internet auction sites than you will ever get from buying from the company directly because there are plenty of people with buyer's remorse. As a result of all these difficulties, my parents eventually decided to just stop paying the maintenance fees on one of their time shares, letting it go without any compensation.
Lest you think I'm anti-time share, I'm not. We enjoy the time we spend there every year building memories with family. However, I am against the principle of buying in high pressure situations. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If a company has to work on the principle of selling in high pressure situations, there are almost assuredly major drawbacks in the fine print that aren't obvious on first glance. If a company has a high quality product, it should be able to withstand the scrutiny that comes with going home and "sleeping on it." At least that's my philosophy.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Spotlight: Florida - Snorkel With Manatees Tour
Spotlight: Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in western Florida is an 80-acre refuge consisting of 20 islands and several parcels of land along the Florida coast. It was established in 1983 to protect the West Indian Manatee, and is closed to humans from Nov. 15-March 31. Visitors can still view manatees in their natural setting from boats or in water outside the refuge's boundaries. We took the Snorkel With Manatees Tour from nearby Homosassa Springs with Captain Gene.
Location: The Snorkel With Manatees Tour office is located at 4155 S. Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa, FL
Cost: $60/person (includes snorkeling equipment and wetsuit rental)
Time: 3 - 3 1/2 hours (8:00 am & 11:30 am daily)
Description: When we first arrived for our tour, we checked in, paid, and rented an underwater camera (with our card inside). Then we watched an orientation video that showed proper etiquette when swimming with manatees. Some of the don'ts included: chasing them, making sudden or excessive movements, splashing, surrounding or crowding them, touching them on the flippers or head, etc. In fact, we could only touch them if they swam up to us to investigate, and then only on the back. After the video, we tried on wet suits to check for size. Once everyone was fitted out with a suit, we drove out to the dock.
As we set out on the boat, we saw several monkeys on a small little island in the harbor where they have their own little tree house. I can't remember the story behind how they got there, but they've been living there for years.
Since it was already April, and most of the manatees had already migrated, we had to search for a while before we found any manatees. Eventually we found a mother and her calf and dropped anchor so that we could get in the water and slowly drifted toward them taking pictures. The water was a bit murky, and the camera took a little getting used to, so most of the pictures we took were only so-so. However, a third manatee soon joined the group. Since he was playful and curious, we got several good pictures. He swam up face-to-face with my wife (I missed the shot), and she got to touch him.
My youngest daughter refused to get in the water, so she watched from the boat. My oldest daughter swam with us most of the time, but she got cold and eventually joined her sister in the boat. We spent about 45-60 minutes swimming before lifting anchor and returning to port.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - The best time to see manatees is from the middle of November until the end of March, when large numbers of manatees migrate to the Florida coast. Some live there full time, but most are seasonal.
- Manatees tend to be more active in the early morning.
- There are several different companies that run tours, but we chose the one we did, because it was a small boat (6 passengers) and our youngest was allowed to stay on the boat if she didn't want to get in and swim.
Nearby: Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Island Beach, Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Reserve, Flying Eagle Ranch
Location: The Snorkel With Manatees Tour office is located at 4155 S. Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa, FL
Cost: $60/person (includes snorkeling equipment and wetsuit rental)
Time: 3 - 3 1/2 hours (8:00 am & 11:30 am daily)
Description: When we first arrived for our tour, we checked in, paid, and rented an underwater camera (with our card inside). Then we watched an orientation video that showed proper etiquette when swimming with manatees. Some of the don'ts included: chasing them, making sudden or excessive movements, splashing, surrounding or crowding them, touching them on the flippers or head, etc. In fact, we could only touch them if they swam up to us to investigate, and then only on the back. After the video, we tried on wet suits to check for size. Once everyone was fitted out with a suit, we drove out to the dock.
As we set out on the boat, we saw several monkeys on a small little island in the harbor where they have their own little tree house. I can't remember the story behind how they got there, but they've been living there for years.
Since it was already April, and most of the manatees had already migrated, we had to search for a while before we found any manatees. Eventually we found a mother and her calf and dropped anchor so that we could get in the water and slowly drifted toward them taking pictures. The water was a bit murky, and the camera took a little getting used to, so most of the pictures we took were only so-so. However, a third manatee soon joined the group. Since he was playful and curious, we got several good pictures. He swam up face-to-face with my wife (I missed the shot), and she got to touch him.
My youngest daughter refused to get in the water, so she watched from the boat. My oldest daughter swam with us most of the time, but she got cold and eventually joined her sister in the boat. We spent about 45-60 minutes swimming before lifting anchor and returning to port.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - The best time to see manatees is from the middle of November until the end of March, when large numbers of manatees migrate to the Florida coast. Some live there full time, but most are seasonal.
- Manatees tend to be more active in the early morning.
- There are several different companies that run tours, but we chose the one we did, because it was a small boat (6 passengers) and our youngest was allowed to stay on the boat if she didn't want to get in and swim.
Nearby: Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Island Beach, Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Reserve, Flying Eagle Ranch
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Spotlight: Orlando - Universal Islands of Adventure
Spotlight: After establishing their Universal Studios - Florida branch, Universal decided to copy the Disney model and expand by creating a new amusement park called Universal's Islands of Adventure (1999). Whereas the original Universal Studios focused on attractions that related to specific movies, Islands of Adventure is geared more towards rides in themed "islands." When we visited, there were seven islands (Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing) with an eighth (Skull Island) set to open in the summer of 2016. In 2014, it attracted 8.1 million visitors, making it the 12th most visited park in the world that year.
Location: Universal's Islands of Adventure is located just east of where I-4 meets the 259 (a toll road) at 6000 Universal Blvd. in Orlando, Florida.
Cost: A one-day park hopper pass is $155/adult; $150.00/child (3-9). 2-4 day tickets run in the low $200s. Keep an eye out for deals. We purchased a 2-day park hopper which gave us a third day free.
Time: The park usually opens at 8:00 or 9:00 am. Closing time varies from day to day, so check the schedule ahead of time. One day should be sufficient to see most of the attractions you want to see (at one park) unless the park is really busy. We did one park one day, the other the second, and returned to our favorites in both parks on the third.
Description: The Port of Entry serves as the entrance and exit from the park, and is easily located at night due to its lighthouse. There are no attractions here, only gift shops and restaurants.
Marvel Super Hero Island has some of the best rides in the park: The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Storm Force Acceleration, Doctor Doom's Fearfall, and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man (3D ride). Also, the super heroes come out for photo ops every hour on the hour, with villains appearing on the half hour.
In addition to the predominate comic strip and cartoon themed stores, Toon Lagoon has several water-themed attractions that are best visited early (but not too early) so that you can take advantage of the warm sun to dry off: Me Ship, The Olive, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, and Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. If it is cold outside, you can always pay to dry off at the automatic dryers.
Jurassic Park is fortunately located right next to Toon Lagoon, because the other water ride, the Jurassic Park River Adventure, is there. By visiting them all in a row, you avoid the need to get wet after you've already dried off. Other attractions here include the Pteranodon Flyers, Camp Jurassic, the Raptor Encounter, and the Jurassic Park Discovery Center.
Hogsmeade is part two of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogwarts Castle is the dominant feature, and is home to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 3D ride. Other attractions include the Flight of the Hippogriff, the Dragon Challenge (roller coaster), and the Hogwarts Express (which takes you to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios - Florida). Of course there are themed shops, the Three Broomsticks restaurant, and live performances (The Frog Choir and the Triwizard Spirit Rally), as well as several areas in which you can practice casting spells with your interactive wand.
The Lost Continent is designed with shows in mind rather than rides. The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Stunt Show is a live stunt show with some audience participation at the beginning. You will want to check showtimes and time your arrival to about 15 minutes before show time. Poseidon's Fury is a special effects guided tour with continuous shows. The Mystic Fountain talks and sprays visitors. It is a big draw for kids. The Mythos Restaurant has won several awards for best amusement park restaurant over the years.
Seuss Landing is obviously geared towards kids. There are about four rides, and interactive play area, shows/readings and of course photo ops with Dr. Seuss characters.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - The chocolate frogs at Honeydukes come with one of five trading cards: Albus Dumbledore, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin.
- If you purchase Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, the packaged boxes are expensive - $10.95 for 6 oz. A baggie of the same amount of beans is less than half the price. The only down side is that you don't get the flavor guide.
- The Hogwarts Express is accessible to those who have parkhopper passes.
- You must empty your pockets of everything before boarding the Dragon Challenge roller coaster - and they aren't bluffing. You must pass through a metal detector before you get on, so you'll be sent back if you try to slip something through. Also, there are two different dragons, each of which follows a slightly different track.
- Valuables can be stored in free lockers while you are on roller coaster style rides. There is a time limit, so if you want to keep them in the lockers for a long period of time, you will have to pay.
- The Pteranodon Flyers are designed for children 36-56 inches tall, accompanied by an adult. In fact, you can only go on the ride if at least one of the guests is between 36-56 inches; so even though it looked fun, we weren't allowed to go on it.
- Hogsmeade and Marvel Super Hero Island are usually packed, so you want to hit at least one of them early, before the crowds hit. We did most of the Marvel rides right away while there was only a 5 minute wait. Of course, by the time we got to Hogsmeade, the wait times were about an hour and a half.
Nearby: Wet 'n Wild, Boggy Creek Airboat rides, Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach
Location: Universal's Islands of Adventure is located just east of where I-4 meets the 259 (a toll road) at 6000 Universal Blvd. in Orlando, Florida.
Cost: A one-day park hopper pass is $155/adult; $150.00/child (3-9). 2-4 day tickets run in the low $200s. Keep an eye out for deals. We purchased a 2-day park hopper which gave us a third day free.
Time: The park usually opens at 8:00 or 9:00 am. Closing time varies from day to day, so check the schedule ahead of time. One day should be sufficient to see most of the attractions you want to see (at one park) unless the park is really busy. We did one park one day, the other the second, and returned to our favorites in both parks on the third.
Description: The Port of Entry serves as the entrance and exit from the park, and is easily located at night due to its lighthouse. There are no attractions here, only gift shops and restaurants.
Marvel Super Hero Island has some of the best rides in the park: The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Storm Force Acceleration, Doctor Doom's Fearfall, and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man (3D ride). Also, the super heroes come out for photo ops every hour on the hour, with villains appearing on the half hour.
In addition to the predominate comic strip and cartoon themed stores, Toon Lagoon has several water-themed attractions that are best visited early (but not too early) so that you can take advantage of the warm sun to dry off: Me Ship, The Olive, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, and Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. If it is cold outside, you can always pay to dry off at the automatic dryers.
 |
| Ripsaw Falls |
Hogsmeade is part two of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogwarts Castle is the dominant feature, and is home to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 3D ride. Other attractions include the Flight of the Hippogriff, the Dragon Challenge (roller coaster), and the Hogwarts Express (which takes you to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios - Florida). Of course there are themed shops, the Three Broomsticks restaurant, and live performances (The Frog Choir and the Triwizard Spirit Rally), as well as several areas in which you can practice casting spells with your interactive wand.
 |
| Sharing a butterbeer |
 |
| Hogwarts Castle |
 |
| Flight of the Hippogriff |
 |
| The Hogwarts Express |
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| Durmstrang & Beaux Batons Pep Rally |
The Lost Continent is designed with shows in mind rather than rides. The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Stunt Show is a live stunt show with some audience participation at the beginning. You will want to check showtimes and time your arrival to about 15 minutes before show time. Poseidon's Fury is a special effects guided tour with continuous shows. The Mystic Fountain talks and sprays visitors. It is a big draw for kids. The Mythos Restaurant has won several awards for best amusement park restaurant over the years.
 |
| Sinbad stunt show |
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - The chocolate frogs at Honeydukes come with one of five trading cards: Albus Dumbledore, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin.
- If you purchase Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, the packaged boxes are expensive - $10.95 for 6 oz. A baggie of the same amount of beans is less than half the price. The only down side is that you don't get the flavor guide.
- The Hogwarts Express is accessible to those who have parkhopper passes.
- You must empty your pockets of everything before boarding the Dragon Challenge roller coaster - and they aren't bluffing. You must pass through a metal detector before you get on, so you'll be sent back if you try to slip something through. Also, there are two different dragons, each of which follows a slightly different track.
- Valuables can be stored in free lockers while you are on roller coaster style rides. There is a time limit, so if you want to keep them in the lockers for a long period of time, you will have to pay.
- The Pteranodon Flyers are designed for children 36-56 inches tall, accompanied by an adult. In fact, you can only go on the ride if at least one of the guests is between 36-56 inches; so even though it looked fun, we weren't allowed to go on it.
- Hogsmeade and Marvel Super Hero Island are usually packed, so you want to hit at least one of them early, before the crowds hit. We did most of the Marvel rides right away while there was only a 5 minute wait. Of course, by the time we got to Hogsmeade, the wait times were about an hour and a half.
Nearby: Wet 'n Wild, Boggy Creek Airboat rides, Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Spotlight: Orlando - Universal Studios Florida
Spotlight: Orlando is one of the world's premier tourist destinations. The main reason why is its theme parks. Every one knows that Disney World is in Orlando, but the Universal Orlando Resort is the second most popular theme park resort in the Orlando area. Universal Orlando consists of two different theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure), an entertainment complex (Universal City Walk), and 5 hotels.
Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990, focusing on the entertainment industry - particularly movies and television. Their unofficial motto is "ride the movies," creating various attractions and live shows that allow visitors to experience the movies interactively - relying heavily on 3-D and 4-D technology. With 8.2 million visitors in 2014, it ranked as the 11th most visited theme park in the world that year. Although they've taken advantage of creating attractions that highlight films and shows produced by their own parent company, they have also purchased the rights to popular characters from rival studios who do not run theme parks.
Location: Universal Studios, Florida is located just east of where I-4 meets Highway 259 (a toll road) at 6300 Hollywood Way in Orlando, Florida.
Cost: A one-day park hopper pass is $155/adult; $150.00/child (3-9). 2-4 day tickets run in the low $200. A 2-3 day park hopper pass is the best deal.
Time: The park usually opens at 8:00 or 9:00 am. Closing time varies from day to day, so check the schedule ahead of time. One day should be sufficient to see most of the attractions you want to see (in this park) unless the park is really busy.
Description: The biggest attraction at Universal Studios Florida is Diagon Alley (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter).There is really only one ride in Diagon Alley - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (my favorite attraction in the park). There are also plenty of other things to see in Diagon Alley: the Knight Bus, 13 Grimwald Place, Gringotts Money Exchange, Live performances of the Tales of Beedle the Bard or Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, the fire-breathing dragon atop Gringotts, Hagrid's motorbike, and of course King's Cross Station (where you can board the Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade in Universal's Islands of Adventure). There are also numerous shops to explore in both Diagon Alley and Nocturn Alley (modeled after the ones from the popular book series): Ollivanders Wand Shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Flourish and Blott's, Madam Malkins, Borgin and Burkes, Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, and the Leaky Cauldron restaurant. If you purchase an interactive wand, you can perform various "magic tricks" at key points scattered throughout the area - such as activating a drinking fountain, flushing a toilet, or levitating a suit of armor. Don't forget to try butter beer (non-alcoholic, tastes like butterscotch) or pumpkin juice (tastes like pumpkin pie).
Other major attractions throughout the park include: Men In Black (ride), Fear Factor Live (show), Revenge of the Mummy (roller coaster), The Blues Brothers Show, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (3D ride), Shrek (4-D ride), Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (rollercoaster), Transformers (3D ride), Terminator 2 (3D ride), the Horror Make-Up show, Barney (show), Curious George (playground), Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse coaster, Fievel's Playland (playground), the ET Adventure (ride), the Simpsons Ride, and Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl (ride).
Keep an eye out for characters making appearances. We saw Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the Mystery Machine.
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - You need to buy a parkhopper pass in order to ride the Hogwarts Express since it is the main way to travel between parks. Make sure you look through the mirror as you approach platform 9 3/4 to see the optical illusion of people going through the brick wall.
- If you use one of the restrooms in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, you will hear Moaning Myrtle talking in the background.
- The interactive wands are expensive, so if you don't feel the need to do the "spells" yourselves, you can almost get the same effect by watching others do them.
- If you go into the telephone booth by King's Cross Station and dial the word MAGIC, you are connected to the Ministry of Magic and can listen to their recording.
- If you stand outside Sirius Black's home and look up at the second floor window, Creature (the house elf) will periodically peer out the curtains.
- Diagon Alley was packed whereas much of the rest of the park was less crowded. If you get there early, you might want to hit Diagon Alley right away before the crowds swell.
- Universal's Superstar Parade takes place in the afternoon. Univeral's Cinematic Spectacular water show takes place in the lagoon at closing time.
Nearby: City Walk, Universal Islands of Adventure, Disney World, the Citrus Bowl, Gator Land
Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990, focusing on the entertainment industry - particularly movies and television. Their unofficial motto is "ride the movies," creating various attractions and live shows that allow visitors to experience the movies interactively - relying heavily on 3-D and 4-D technology. With 8.2 million visitors in 2014, it ranked as the 11th most visited theme park in the world that year. Although they've taken advantage of creating attractions that highlight films and shows produced by their own parent company, they have also purchased the rights to popular characters from rival studios who do not run theme parks.
Location: Universal Studios, Florida is located just east of where I-4 meets Highway 259 (a toll road) at 6300 Hollywood Way in Orlando, Florida.
Cost: A one-day park hopper pass is $155/adult; $150.00/child (3-9). 2-4 day tickets run in the low $200. A 2-3 day park hopper pass is the best deal.
Time: The park usually opens at 8:00 or 9:00 am. Closing time varies from day to day, so check the schedule ahead of time. One day should be sufficient to see most of the attractions you want to see (in this park) unless the park is really busy.
Description: The biggest attraction at Universal Studios Florida is Diagon Alley (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter).There is really only one ride in Diagon Alley - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (my favorite attraction in the park). There are also plenty of other things to see in Diagon Alley: the Knight Bus, 13 Grimwald Place, Gringotts Money Exchange, Live performances of the Tales of Beedle the Bard or Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, the fire-breathing dragon atop Gringotts, Hagrid's motorbike, and of course King's Cross Station (where you can board the Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade in Universal's Islands of Adventure). There are also numerous shops to explore in both Diagon Alley and Nocturn Alley (modeled after the ones from the popular book series): Ollivanders Wand Shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Flourish and Blott's, Madam Malkins, Borgin and Burkes, Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, and the Leaky Cauldron restaurant. If you purchase an interactive wand, you can perform various "magic tricks" at key points scattered throughout the area - such as activating a drinking fountain, flushing a toilet, or levitating a suit of armor. Don't forget to try butter beer (non-alcoholic, tastes like butterscotch) or pumpkin juice (tastes like pumpkin pie).
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| Madam Malkins |
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| The Knight Bus |
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| Exchanging muggle money at Gringotts |
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| Gringotts Bank |
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| Tales of Beedle the Bard |
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| Shrek |
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - You need to buy a parkhopper pass in order to ride the Hogwarts Express since it is the main way to travel between parks. Make sure you look through the mirror as you approach platform 9 3/4 to see the optical illusion of people going through the brick wall.
- If you use one of the restrooms in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, you will hear Moaning Myrtle talking in the background.
- The interactive wands are expensive, so if you don't feel the need to do the "spells" yourselves, you can almost get the same effect by watching others do them.
- If you go into the telephone booth by King's Cross Station and dial the word MAGIC, you are connected to the Ministry of Magic and can listen to their recording.
- If you stand outside Sirius Black's home and look up at the second floor window, Creature (the house elf) will periodically peer out the curtains.
- Diagon Alley was packed whereas much of the rest of the park was less crowded. If you get there early, you might want to hit Diagon Alley right away before the crowds swell.
- Universal's Superstar Parade takes place in the afternoon. Univeral's Cinematic Spectacular water show takes place in the lagoon at closing time.
Nearby: City Walk, Universal Islands of Adventure, Disney World, the Citrus Bowl, Gator Land
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