"It Does Not Do Well to Dwell on Dreams and Forget to Live"

We had a relaxing morning and waited until lunchtime to head back to Universal today. We wanted to venture beyond Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to see some of the other attractions. It was another whirlwind day, and we got on almost everything we wanted to ride. (The one exception was the Rip, Ride, Rockit rollercoaster, which was not working at the time we tried to ride.)

First stop was Transformers 3D. This was our longest line yet at about 40 minutes. This is a 3D motion simulator ride that lasts about five minutes. While standing in this long line, we learned that taking the single-rider line is the way to go. If you don't care about the setup in the line where you see all of the movie props and stuff and if you don't mind riding separately, the single-rider line is like a free express pass. We tried this on our next stop: Revenge of the Mummy. The sign out front said the wait was 20 minutes, but we jumped in the single-rider line and got on in about five minutes. We were on the same car, just not on the same row. We really had no clue what we were about to ride. It started out kind of cheesy in an It's a Small World kind of way. But then things picked up fast, and it turned out to be a pretty amazing indoor coaster. We got off and immediately hit the single-rider line and did it all over again.

Next, we wandered over to the Hollywood section and arrived in time to see the Horror Make-Up Show. The guidebook we have calls this Universal's best-kept secret. I'm not sure it's all that, but it was an entertaining theater show with two guys on stage talking about how they create special effects for horror movies. And it was half an hour in an air-conditioned room.

At this point, it was mid-afternoon, and we hadn't had lunch. So we headed back to Diagon Alley to go to the Leaky Cauldron. Like the Three Broomsticks, the food here is very good. It's not ridiculously priced: $13 for a good meal. And the atmosphere is pretty cool.

Since we were in Diagon Alley, we decided to ride the Gringott's Bank ride --for the fourth time. Taking the single-rider route, we pretty much walked right on. 

Next, we walked to the World Expo section and rode Men in Black: Alien Attack. Again, the single-rider line got us on super fast. This is an interactive ride with laser weapons. Riders shoot aliens and try to get the highest score. Kinda cheesy. In this same area is the Simpsons Ride, an indoor simulator ride through a 3D show. Great 3D but kinda dumb. 

We hopped on the Hogwarts Express to get back over to Hogsmeade to ride the Forbidden Journey. The single-rider line took us right to the front. You miss the castle tour part and go directly to the ride. The fourth time through was just as great as the first. 

We relaxed for a bit in the Hog's Head Pub while we were here, and Savannah got her new school clothes. 

Next, we wandered toward Marvel Super Hero Island to ride the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, a 3D motion simulator ride. It's like taking a spin through a comic book, and again, decent 3D but kinda dumb.

By now, it was close to closing time, so we headed toward the exit but squeezed in one more thrill ride: The Incredible Hulk Coaster. This was the perfect end to another great day. This steel coaster gets off to a somewhat normal, slow start, but then you shoot up 150 feet crazy fast, going from a near standstill to 42 mph in the blink of an eye. It takes seven loops and a gazillion twists and turns. This ride is so intense that you can't have any personal belongings on you -- no cell phone, no keys, not even a Chapstick. Savannah got lucky in the single-rider line and got pulled out to take a seat on the front row. What a thrill! It left us a little dizzy and laughing hysterically -- partially from terror, I'm sure. 

So that's the end to another excellent, memorable, and exhausting day. After some lengthy showering, we are piled up in bed watching Harry Potter movies. I'm ready to read the books all over again.