Orlando Vacation Part 2: Lego Store & Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios

We visited the Lego store at Downtown Disney. My brothers and sister and Dave all grew up playing with Legos, so we wanted to see this landmark. It was colorful, imaginative and expensive; so we just browsed.

Above, my sister Emily and her husband James and their son Wesley pose in front of some amazing people and dogs made from Legos. Here my brothers Chris and Jeff and I pose with reptilian Legos.

The next day (Friday, Aug 6) we went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Our first stop was the new Harry Potter theme park. Dave and I had read Harry Potter several times, so we loved seeing this book come to life.

The line for the new Harry Potter ride was an hour long. Only during the last 20 minutes were we inside snaking through Hogwarts castle mock scenery. We took turns riding & holding Jessica, who slept for part of the wait.

We drank "butterbeer" (cream soda with butterscotch whipping cream) in the owlery, 

and tried Chocolate Caldrons, and Ton Tongue toffee, which we bought at the park's "Honeyduke's" store.

Some of the family ate turkey legs at the "Three Broom Sticks" for lunch. The rest of us got stuck outside Harry Potter world when the big crowds came in the middle of the day. In the rest of the park we enjoyed water rides, roller coasters,

motorcycle shows, 

and stood in a lot of lines. We rode the two Dueling Dragons coaster several times since the line was so short. The Incredible Hulk roller coaster shot you in the air on the way up the first big hill. It was the hottest time of the year, and we tried to keep ourselves from melting with misting fans.