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Remember, remember 8th of November

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Remember, remember the 8th of November when there will be fireworks in America when the US allows us all back in again.

As soon as I’d taken the decision to park Vegas, which hosted a very successful American Travel Fair ) without me (imagine!) thoughts turned to Orlando.

Then again they always do in the winter, with Orlando the most visited destination in the US.

And with theme park holiday events and outdoor shopping with flights/hotel packages starting at just £729.

Now the theme park capital of the world has been spinning throughout the year for American visitors.

And now that we can return, it promises to be even better than it’s ever been.

So let’s have a scoot around Disney, Epcot and Universal Orlando.

Walt Disney Resort

Ears looking at you Mickey: Disney time in Orlando

Beginning 8 Nov., Disney Very Merriest After Hours will debut at Magic Kingdom Park.

Running for 24 select nights through 21 Dec. from 9pm. to 1 am.

It is the separately ticketed, after-hours holiday event which will bring festive food and drink offerings, dance parties, nighttime spectaculars.

And “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.” And my pal Donald will be front and centre, no doubt.

Epcot Festival of the Holidays

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays (26 Nov. to 30 Dec.) takes guests on a global holiday celebration.

With costumed performances, seasonal food throughout 11 World Showcase nations.

Along with wondrous sights, sounds and flavors of the season celebrated by cultures near and far

Universal Orlando Resort

Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (13 Nov. – 2 Jan.) will bring holiday charm to Seuss Landing with The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular.

It’s a live retelling of the classic tale starring the Grinch.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ (13 Nov. – 2 Jan.) will bring festive decor to both Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida.

Guests can cap off their evening in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade to enjoy “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle”.

It’s a spectacular transformation of Hogwarts castle with a stunning projection.

Macy’s Balloons

Universal’s Holiday Experience featuring Macy’s Balloons (13 Nov. – 2 Jan.) is a festive walk-through experience bringing Universal Studios’ guests closer than ever to larger-than-life Macy’s balloons and colourful Christmas floats.

With all our favourite characters from Shrek, Madagascar and Despicable Me, along with Santa.

SeaWorld Orlando

During SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration(12 Nov. – 2 Jan.), over 3 million sparkling lights will shine throughout the theme park.

Festivities include live performances, seasonal food and meet-and-greets with Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer.

And entertainment like the Winter Wonderland on Ice.

So remember, remember the 8th of November… and the fireworks to come this winter in Orlando.

America, Countries, UK

Potter gold for 25 years

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Happy 25th anniversary JK Rowling, Harry and all your friends (and enemies). It truly has been a Potter gold for 25 years.

It seem incomprehensible now to think of a world where Harry Potter didn’t exist.

But prior to 1997 it had only inhabited JK Rowling’s imagination.

Now, of course, we have the books, the films, the merchandise, and a recreation of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Resort Orlando, Florida.

Which gives us two unforgettable experiences Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

Step on it Hagrid

And now since the last time I visited they also have Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Now those who were lucky enough to have been in at the start in 2010 would have had the joy, pleasure and fantasy of seeing some real Potter royalty.

Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Filius Flitwick (Warwick Davis) ambling along through the recently-constructed world.

Potterheads will rightly point out at this juncture that Warwick also played…

Michael D Higgins’ day off

A Gringott’s Bank teller (it must have been Ireland President Michael D Higgins’ day off) and also played Griphook.

Nobody knows more about Potterworld than its creator, JK Rowling.

And she is rightly very very protective of her baby.

The story is told that she rubberstamped every last nut and bolt that went into the building of this magical world.

And that the designer at Orlando Airport was requested to explain to Customs…

Why he was carrying a particular brick and said sheepishly that it was to recreate Harry Potter’s world.

Potter in his homeland

Of course we’re all not lucky enough to escape into Potterworld (I returned on a Visit Orlando invitation which took in Disney World and a return to Universal).

But there are a number of greet deals on the market.

And if you’re a British muggle.

And you can’t get out there (certainly not until next month when the Americans reopen the borders).

Then I’d recommend the Warner Bros. Studios Tour London in Watford.

Where you can learn some cutting room secrets of how it was all put together.

Always in Prophet

Yes, it’s been a Potter gold for 25 years.

But just a reminder here, JK, I’m still waiting for my reply to my application to be editor of the Daily Prophet!

America, Countries, Culture

May the froth be with you

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And today may be the day I watch my first Star Wars film… or not.

Today, Star Wars Day… ‘May the Fourth be with you.’

Genius marketing and branding and George Lucas and Star Wars do it better than anybody which is why the franchise is worth $40m.

Which leaves Harry Potter and James Bond in the Ha’penny Place.

It was a marriage made in the heavens then when another global superpower in entertainment popped the question to Star Wars.

Where’s Princess Leia?

Chewy, but not Leia. Photo by Craig Adderley:

I was the envy of every amateur Ewok then when I was invited out to Anaheim https://disneyland.disney.go.com to attend the opening of the Star Wars park in Disneyland.

I’d liked to say that I was excited to meet Princess Leia but I didn’t have that rush of excitement a Star Wars superfan would have.

And there were hundreds of them in the special reception party that got to enjoy Galaxy’s Edge… https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2020/03/23/stair-wars-4/amp/.

Now lockdown is almost made for Star Wars https://www.starwars.com nuts who will be fixed to the screens today playing with their light sabres (Steady!)

Heck, they probably do it every day anyway.

One ring to bind us all

The book of knowledge

Which is all good (it gets you out of the dish-washing) and we’ve been known to do it ourselves.

The Son and Heir has been bingeing on Lord of the Rings which has always been our thing.

From when I would read him a chapter of The Hobbit over the phone from my workplace as a kid.

And when it came to taking him to the film his Mum made a cloak for him and felt feet and sent him out in curly wig and ring.

We were the only ones dressed up in the cinema!

Potter gold

The Ghost Bus

You won’t be out of place if you get into part at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/universal-orlando-resort/the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/hub.

I used to damn Harry with faint praise.

While it was Daddy’s Little Girl’s thing I felt it was derivative of my fave Lord of the Rings.

But one foot in the Wizarding World will change your world for ever… Aaawlando… Orlando, the rollercoaster capital and See off Voldemort, then for a beer at Moe’s

Our heroes

Butterbeer of course

We all need a bit of fantasy in our lives just now so whoever your hero is…

Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Harry or even Aslan, and this year I got out to see where The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was filmed in the Czech Republic https://www.npcs.cz/en.

Then May the Fourth be with you.