Florida Trip

The Harlan Band takes a trip to Disney World every 4 years.  They work on fundraising and helping at the school to earn the money to help with costs.  This year we decided to take the whole family.  Well Amber wasn’t with us because she is currently serving a mission.  So, insert Hannah Jacobs, our exchange student to take the place of the missing sister. 

We went down a day earlier than the band to do a day at Universal studios, which the band wasn’t going to be doing.  The kids, and myself, wanted to see the new Harry Potter World that they have there and also a whole bunch of other cool stuff they have there! 

This was at the entrance of the Potter world.  The Hogwarts express with a real conductor complete with British accent. It was cool.  They have recreated the streets of Hogsmead, with all the lovely shops, like Honeydukes,  the Three Broomsticks, and Zonkos Joke shop. They also had an owl post office, and Olivanders, where you can buy your own wand, which the kids did.  These weren’t plastic cheap wands either. 

Everything looked so authentic, and like you stepped right into the movie.  They have the castle of Hogwarts as well, and you get to go in and experience life in the castle complete with moving and talking portraits.  You get to experience a thrill ride and fly with Harry on a broomstick, all over the grounds, fending off evil dementors and dragons, and all sorts of creatures.  It was amazing! We ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks, where Ben ate an enormous chicken leg, that was bigger than a turkey leg!  We were thinking it was a hippogriff leg!  Then we explored the Other part of Universal, where we enjoyed a Transformers ride, which was one of my favorites, also a ride with the Minnions, Shrek, and all sorts to other movie characters.  Lucky for Bret, Hannah likes roller coasters.  So he didn’t have to go on them alone, because the other kids and myself, don’t like them.    

 

The next day we went to Disney World and enjoyed, the rides and scenery, and also was able to watch the marching band perform in the parade.  They did wonderful as usual. Sam was also in the parade, he was asked to be one of the banner carriers.  He was really excited.  We then said goodbye to Ben, he was going to be with the band for the rest of the trip and fly back with them.  A bit of bonding time with his friends.  Sam and Keaton, weren’t to happy about losing their older brother.  But managed to have a good time anyway.  

Taking a well needed break from all the walking you do around these parks!  I swear we walked about 8 miles each day.  It would have been fun to wear a pedometer, to see for sure.  I’ll have to remember that next time.  Sam goes again in 4 years. 

 

This is one of the rides at the dinosaur park.  Its an older ride but fun all the same.   I have lots more pictures of what we did and will try to get them off Bret’s camera and my cell phone camera to add to this as well.  So much fun, and a nice break from the very cold Iowa temps!  Although as you can see, we still needed to wear sweatshirts, but it was wonderful!

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