Vacation Spots You Should Check Out: Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

   We drove to Universal Studios Florida in 2013, and we stopped by a quaint town called Chattanooga, Tennessee made famous by the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo."  For train lovers of any age this would be a good spot to check out as the town hosts a Terminal Train Station and the original Chattanooga Choo-Choo train and many others.  In Terminal Station they have an impressive model train display of the area including Look-Out Mountain, a tourist attraction in the town.  You can stay in the station in train cars or rooms and have brunch before heading to Florida!
     At Universal Orlando, our main focus was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure; there is now an extended Hogwarts Express train that connects it to the Universal Studios Florida that includes the new Diagon Alley which we would like to see.  However, this one is worth seeing on its own.  First, you enter the town of Hogsmeade which is a replica of the actual town in the books with stores that sell wands, confectionaries, and many other things from the world.  They've created a scaled version of the castle which holds props and entire rooms from the movie that makes waiting in line for the ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  After you get done with the ride, visit gift shop in the castle to see the Marauder's Map and other souvenirs.  You have to wait in line for Ollivander's Wand Shop to see the show and then you can purchase your own wand, or you can purchase the replicas from the movies.  Another thing you can do is send yourself or someone else a postcard from the Owl Post with a Harry Potter stamp.  For lunch eat at the Three Broomsticks for butter beer, giant turkey legs, and the Harry Potter atmosphere.  Outside the castle you can watch Beauxbatons and Durmstrang perform dances and acrobatics.  Also, listen to the choir sing with the frogs.  Check out Honeydukes, the Hogsmeade sweets shop, and Zonko's Joke Shop for pranks.  Many of the window displays have replica props from the movies like Quidditch Shop, Wizard Chess, and brooms.
     Continuing on other places in Islands of Adventure see the Marvel and other comic areas.  There is also a Dr. Seuss area and other worlds like Poseidon's Adventure and Sinbad's 8th Voyage stunt show.  You can end your day at the NBA restaurant and shop.  We spent an entire day there, and you could do more, but our most fun was at Harry Potter.