Universal Studios

Harry Potter

The castle is bigger then i thought it would be

An early morning picture before things got crowded

Let me preface this by saying I know nothing about Harry Potter. Dawn and I arrived at Islands of Adventure sometime in the afternoon and decided to go check out the new Harry Potter Land. That was a mistake. It is very cool but insanely crowded. We went during the off season so I can't imaging what it will be like in the summer. We kept seeing big lines of people everywhere and figured there must be a few more rides then we thought. Wrong...the lines were to get in the gift shops. We're talking long lines for everything. Even the butterbeer. After a brief look around we decided to come back first thing in the morning. The next day we hurried over and there was still a 40 minute wait for the forbidden journey ride. I will say the the wait goes pretty fast. The line is really neat. Talking pictures, real snow falling and Harry Potter talks to you. The ride it's self is a motion sim ride where you follow Harry Potter in a race. Defiantly worth the wait but not my all time favorite ride by any means. All in all the new land was nice. I'm sure it would appeal more to a fan of the series. I think universal should have made everything a bit bigger tho. I can see them not letting ppl in this summer when it reaches gridlock.

A Study in Beaches....Three Beaches in Five Days

Half Moon Cay....You couldn't ask for a nicer beach. Clear blue water and not too crowded.
The ship from Half Moon Cay

Megans Bay, St. Thomas A very nice beach.
Megans Bay
Governors Beach, Grand Turk, One of our favorite beaches. Nice white sand and deep blue water.

Swimming in January was something different for me. I think knowing that it was cold back home made our beach days that much better. Half Moon Cay was fabulous. Clear blue water, white sand and about 85 degrees. We really couldn't have had better weather. The only negative....we had to get back on the boat.

Dining Extravaganza 2011

Ok, I'm going to start with the appetizers and work my way to dessert...So sit back and enjoy.

Seared Scallops, Yachtsman Steakhouse

Tchoup Chop Crunchy Shrimp and Steamed Pork & Asian Vegetable Dumplings
New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp, Petite Rosemary Biscuit and Stone Crab Claws, Emeril's Orlando

These huge turkey legs are damn good!
Dragon roll and California roll, Orchid Lounge, Royal Pacific. I wish i had a plate of these right now.
Trio of Escargots Baked in Brioche, Stuffed in Fondue Potatoes, and Classic Bourguignonne. Supper Club, This may have been the best thing we ate on the whole trip. Amazingly good.

Lobster Bisque with Vintage Cognac, Fleuron and Fresh Cream, Supper Club

Shrimp Cocktail, Supper Club


Conch Fritters, St. Thomas. I can't remember the name of the bar we were in. All I remember is that Dawn was drunk off one drink and needed food. I'll explain later lol

Pot Stickers and General Tso's Chicken Dumplings, Nine Dragons, World Showcase


Fried Oysters Rockefeller, Narcoossee's...very tasty

Blue Lump Crab Cake with Potato Crust, Brown Derby

Butternut Squash Bisque with Spiced Creme Fraiche, Brown Derby. This might be the best soup I've ever had.

I don't remember the name of this appetizer but it was very interesting. On the bottom is venison pate, smoked duck sausage in the middle and very strong! blue cheese on the lower left. Behind the bread is beef tartar (raw beef) and the cheese on the right is creamy and very ripe. Overall pretty good and it was fun to try something different. Yachtsman Steakhouse

It's hard to go wrong with lobster bisque. Les Chefs de France

Cheese plate from Les Chefs de France. The cheeses I remember from top to bottom are Brie, Gruyere, Goat Cheese and something that tasted like soft Munster. I can't remember the name of it though.

Entrees

Ok, here come the Entrees........

Herb Broiled Ashley Farms Free Range Chicken Breast, Kimchee Fried Rice, Chinese Mustard Sake Reduction Sauce, Tchoup Chop
Hot Iron Seared Yellowfin Tuna Steak with Thai Sticky Rice and Smoked Bacon - Wasabi Butter Infusion, Tchoup Chop

Salmon and Shrimp on the ship. Very good

Broiled Filet Mignon, Supper Club

Surf and Turf, Supper Club

Pork Mofongo, Cafe Puerto Rico

Ham and Cheese Mallorcas, La Bombanera, Puerto Rico. Andrew Zimmern had one of these on his show at this cafe. It was quite good.

Yum....fresh Maine lobster, Narcoosee's

Char-grilled Filet of Beef over Truffle Whipped Potatoes, Brown Derby

Madeira Braised Lamb Shank with Goat Cheese and Rosemary Polenta, Brown Derby

Prime New York Strip Steak...very good. The potato thing next to it was really good too. In the background is Truffle Mac and Cheese, Yachtsman Steakhouse

Demi poulet fermier roti (half an all natural roasted chicken) Les Chefs de France

Croque Monsieur, Les Chefs de France

Such good food it would be hard to pick out a favorite. A couple of exceptional entrees were the lobster from Narcoossee's, The filet from the supper club and the New York steak from the Yachtsman. Dining really is my favorite part of traveling.

Dessert!

Emeril’s Signature Banana Cream Pie, Tchoup Chop
Yum

Cheese plate, Main Dining Room Carnival Liberty
Chocolate Tarte with butter Chocolate Pate, Pineapple Croquant, Tiramisu Notre Facon

La Bombonera, San Juan

Room Service on the ship. A sweet cheese and dry almond cake. Pretty good

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Dome, Narcoosee's

Almond Crusted Cheesecake, Narcoossee's

Banana White Chocolate Toffee Tower, Brown Derby

Creme Brulee, Yachtsman Steakhouse

Banana Napoleon, Yachtsman Steakhouse

Carmel Apple Crepe, Les Chefs de France

Profiteroles au Chocolat, Les Chefs de France

Strawberry Shortcake, Sunshine Seasons, EPCOT

I think my favorite was the Creme Brulee from the Yachtsman. Really good! The banana cream pie from Tchoup Chop is hard to beat too. I know there were a couple of things Dawn didn't care for but as far as the deserts went everything i tasted was good and some very good.