Photo Potpourri: Florida

Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts

Sunday, August 1, 2021

Orlando theme parks, Part VIII:
Star Wars at Hollywood Studios

When I began processing my images from the Star Wars village at Hollywood Studios, I quickly realized that pretty much half of my shots were taken using my iPhone. I'm sure that's because I knew my sons in Indianapolis would probably be interested in seeing what was there, as both are fans of the Star Wars stories, so "immediacy" became important.

The photo of the Millennium Falcon leading off the post is an HDR rendering from my Canon 6D, but many of the shots below are iPhone shots.

There is a "ride" in the Star Wars village called "Rise of the Resistance" that is unlike any other I experienced in the sundry theme parks during our visit to the Orlando area. The first portion integrates visitors into a "plot" in which the Dark Side is preparing to fend off an attack by the resistance. Visitors are "captured" and brought to an area for an "interrogation." After we deny any knowledge about the resistance's battle plans, we're taken to the actual ride ... which puts us in a large cup, we're strapped in, then the cup begins to take us on a journey along a track that weaves in, out and around as a video of a battle unfolds before us on omni-present screens throughout the ride. Sometimes the cup takes you right up to the screen almost where the larger-than life activity gets briefly intense.

As always, to view a larger, sharper version of an image, simply click on it. To view a full gallery of images from the Star Wars village at Hollywood Studios, click on the link in this sentence.

Outside the village entrance (above), walking through the tunnel leading to the village (first below) and the first other-worldly scene you lay eyes on when emerging from the tunnel (second image below).

A ship (above) followed below (next nine images) by more other-worldly images.

Above and next four below are a few more looks at the Millennium Falcon.

Above and below: It wouldn't be a real tourist trap without a merchandising store, right?

Above and next four images: Star Wars has its share of bots.

Above and below: Storm troopers on a stage doing a brief call-out routine for passers-by.

The photo above and the remainder below except for the very last image depict our journey during the "Rise to the Resistance" ride, and all were taken with the iPhone.

Above: A woman portraying Rey Skywalker, a protagonist in the final film series trilogy, was on the grounds.

Previously in the series:

Part I: Magic Kingdom

Part II: Hollywood Studios

Part III: Epcot Center

Part IV: Disney's Animal Kingdom

Part V: Universal Studios

Part VI: Return to Magic Kingdom

Part VII: Harry Potter at Universal Studios

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Orlando theme parks, Part VII:
Harry Potter at Universal Studios

In the weeks before we took off for the Orlando theme parks tour, Lee Ann prepped me for the visit to the Harry Potter area of Universal Studios by having me watch each of the Harry Potter movies in the series. I'd never seen even one of them before that.

I didn't mind the films, but it was fortunate Lee Ann and her daughter Lea were there with me to explain all the confusing stuff I wasn't understanding. But as my oldest son -- also a Harry Potter fanatic -- told me several times after I told him I'd been watching the movies, I'm sure I would have been much better prepared if I had read all the Harry Potter books first. Yeah, well ... if I hadn't felt interested in seeing any of the movies before this, why would have I read all the books?

But my son was right (and in her defense, Lee Ann had told me the same thing): on just the issue of having adequate context, I would have been better off having read the books first.

Still, watching the movies enabled me to grasp at least half of the things I encountered while walking through the Harry Potter area at Universal. For instance, I know about the dragons. Which is why I chose to lead off the post with a picture of one of them. But the theme park goes beyond just showing you a life-size (read: huge) dragon on top of one of the buildings. Every 15 minutes, it roars and breathes fire (see photo immediately below).

For the sake of children, it's a good thing the dragon is as far away from the pedestrian paths as possible!

As always, to view a larger, sharper version of an image, simply click on it. To view a full gallery of images from the Harry Potter area of Universal, click on the link in this sentence.

Above: Almost immediately after you enter the primary thoroughfare of the Potter section, you can spy the dragon atop the building in the distance.

Gringotts Wizarding Bank is operated by goblins in London. Universal's Harry Potter area has a life-sized but animated goblin seated behind a desk at the bank (above and below).

Above and first two below: Just like in Diagon Alley South Side in the Potter stories, the Universal Potter area has a wand shop.

There's also a shop to get robes and graduation gowns like those worn in the movies (above and first two below). In the five photos below the robes and gowns are some of the store's more familiar merchandising products, such as like shirts, mugs, etc.

Above and first two below: I don't recall the Potter movies mentioning the region's favorite beverage, butterbeer (must have been a book thing), but Harry Potter Town had a tavern that served a variety of beers, including butterbeer. It's pretty good -- and not alcoholic.

While visitors made their way through the inside of Hogwarts Castle to take the ride that launched at the top, they are "entertained" by a Potter-related show that appears on the interior walls and/or in photo frames therein. The segment above featured beloved Hogwarts head master Dumbledore.

Above: Potter fanatics will recognize the name of the witch Bellatrix.

Above and below are likenesses of various meals on the menu of The Leaky Cauldron restaurant that prospective diners can view while waiting in line to get into the eatery.

Above: Visitors supposedly can prompt a water spout to engage with the wand that this gal has in her hand, presuming they lift it in the correct way. She didn't have any luck on her attempt, but I did see other succeed. There is a similar attraction elsewhere on the grounds (near The Leaky Cauldron); if one correctly uses the wand, it makes water fall "like magic" from the umbrella pictured below.