Another Unforgettable Day!

Our third day we ventured over to...

I got VIP tour passes for the grad and the Mimi.

We started with an unbelievable breakfast spread.

Just a partial pic:

(Best cheese Danishes ever!)

Then we boarded a bus and toured the lot.
We got to go onto the working set for 
Superstore starring America Ferrera.
Susannah had watched the show, so it was
especially interesting to her!
But it was totally fascinating to me, too.
We couldn't take any pictures, though.


We also stopped and were allowed to enter
Universal's prop warehouse.
We saw furniture marked for use in future productions,
and items that had been used in movies we had seen.
For instance, this throne chair was in...something?

I kinda want to rent this for my next birthday.


We saw the still smoldering wreckage of a Boeing 747
which was purchased and destroyed for 
what I think was a five minute scene in
Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds.

Boeing demanded that their name not be readable,
but I thought it interesting you still can see the "B."


Here's Norman Bates carrying his victim out of
the Bates Motel in the movie Psycho,
which Susannah knew nothing about!

#mademefeelold


Here's something Susannah loved!
Hairspray live was filmed here, and she is 
pointing to Mr. Pinky's!

And this courthouse was used in
Back to the Future and To Kill A Mockingbird.
(However, in one or both it had four, more 
massive columns.)

We were served one of the best lunches ever
al fresco with a view and a visitor!

After lunch...

Then the two animal lovers went to the Animal
Training Show!
We were fascinated by trained dogs, cats, owls, birds,
and even rats!!!
Afterwards we got to stay and get up close and 
personal with some of the stars.

This trained but scary owl is named Harry Potter.

 I found my souvenir!!!

His name is Lincoln.



Then we went to the massive Harry Potter Land,
the highlight of our day!

I had already bowed out of several rides, and since
the Harry Potter ride is the most intense,
I was the holder of the purses...
for the purportedly short (5 minute) but scary ride!
Fortunately I found a bench on which to sit.
This was my view.

After 20 minutes or so, this became my view.

Out of ALL the trips and ALL the riders,
 it had malfunctioned when Susie was on there!
Our lovely guide was so kind to me (as was everyone)
telling me "It will probably be just another 
 couple minutes."
It was an hour and a half!


I couldn't understand why she wasn't texting me.
I finally opened her purse and found out--
she had left her phone in there.
She tried valiantly to text on her Apple watch
without success.


I didn't want to call Susan and Rob and tell them
their baby was stuck on the HP ride, but
after 45 minutes or so I HAD to talk to somebody.
So I called Jay and Terri.
They reassured me BIG TIME and said they were
actually very jealous they weren't on there with her!


Here she is after escaping the ordeal!

And here WE are!

Yes, everyone, the Mimi made it okay!


It was now 6:10 P.M., and the park closed at 7:00.
Our guide said that dinner was on them at 
the Three Broomsticks Cafe.
We could have had anything we wanted,
and this is what we got:

 Two kid's plates of mac and cheese--but with...

 two Harry Potter BUTTERBEERS!
(It's like cream soda, and we had been wanting it
since we walked through the gates!)


Susie talked to Nick and her parents from our Uber
all the way home to the Grand Californian!
An unforgettable trip had just become even more so!


I guess now we have to go back.
She didn't get to really ride the star attraction!



*********************

Thanks to my friend Becky Leffler for telling
us about Universal's VIP pass!
She had discovered it for her granddaughter, Jordan.
We waited in no lines, which was very good for moi!