This summer we had the best trip ever to Yellowstone in an RV. It was really a trip to end all trips! And as we talked as a family, we decided that travel would be our main family adventure going forward. Hubert and I asked the girls where they wanted to go next and they quickly said a Disney Cruise. So, Hubert and I begin planning and we gave them a new adventure for Christmas.

We bought the trip several months ago but had to keep a secret until Christmas Day. That was the hard part! We made a puzzle for them with a picture of the boat and the words, “start packing” on it. They unwrapped several presents with just a few pieces and were completely confused. Finally, we gave them all the pieces and they worked it out. When we enlightened them that we would be leaving for a Disney cruise and two days at Universal to go to Harry Potter world, the girls started screaming! Caroline had tears in her eyes and Josie kept hugging us!

So, after quickly taking down our tree on the 26th, packing, and spending time with my brother and nephew, we headed off to Orlando on the 27th. We left around 10:30 on Saturday and it took us 7 hours to get out of the state of SC. Mind you, our state is not that big, but the road conditions and traffic were awful. We were so frustrated and irritated, that it was hard to keep our happy faces on! The girls were in a much better mood than me and Hubert!

Along the way, I decided to call the hotel to tell them we were running late. There was no reservation! I died! I had booked the hotel online through a discount service, http://www.hoteltravel.com (don’t use!) and paid for a room up front at a Hampton Inn near Universal Studios. The reservation was not good and after getting in touch with the company, they tried to find a new place only to tell me they couldn’t find anything. Meanwhile, I was trying too with no luck. Finally, my mom (a travel agent) found us a room at the Renaissance near Seaworld. It was more expensive, but you get what you pay for and it was worth every penny! When we walked in to the hotel, orange was everywhere and we realized it was the sponsor hotel for the Clemson Tigers who were in a bowl game. So, we went all the way to Florida, but felt like we were home. Hubert even talked to Vic Beasley in the elevator and was starstruck!

On Sunday, we woke up early to get to Universal Studios in time for opening. Like most things, the Yarboroughs take amusement parks seriously. We plan our attack and work the system. So, we were at the entrance by opening and immediately went to Harry Potter world for the Hogwarts ride. We did not stop to see anything else. We decided to look at things AFTER the ride to get a quicker wait time. The ride was fantastic and after that, we loved exploring Hogsmeade and the surrounding area. Seeing Caroline in the HP world was worth it! And Josie is a new Harry Potter fan and loved seeing the fun treats and details! Then we went to the river ride in Jurassic Park which was a blast and very wet. Josie said, “It was totally worth it!” Then we took the Hogwarts Express over to Diagon Alley and we were blown away! The detail to the story of Harry Potter is unbelievable. I have read all of them and watched each movie and I felt like I walked right into that world. It was so fun exploring and we rode the Gringotts ride after some delicious ice cream.

A really cool thing we did was go to Ollivanders for a wand demonstration. In the book, Harry goes to buy a wand and the shopkeeper, Ollivander, helps find him the perfect wand. He says, “the wizard does not pick the wand, the wand picks the wizard.” We stood in line to watch a demonstration and a boy was picked for the show to “get” a wand. Afterwards, I asked Ollivander if I could have a picture with him and the girls. He asked if they wanted help picking out a wand. He then went on and did a private wand picking giving Caroline a wand out of holly due to her love of nature and animals and Josie a wand out of ivy for her strength and power of healing. He did not ask he girls any questions, but his words about them was so spot on! It was so cool and the girls beamed. He spoke of their unique bond that is an envy to all. I know it was a show, but we were beaming and we easily bought those expensive wands! (Plus, the wands are interactive in HP world – making all sorts of things move!)

After a long day of rides and exploring, we left the park around 7 (yes, 11 hours of fun!) and went back to the hotel for room service, showers and bed! The next day, we woke up and got to the park around 8:30. Since we had done mostly HP world the day before, we bought the express pass so we could enjoy our time riding the rides all over the park. Boy, did we ride the rides. We rode everything! Including a quick trip for me and Hubert on the Dragon chaser which had more upside down loops and turns than possible. My head almost exploded! The girls loved the Transformers ride most of all and we went on it twice. We did go back to HR world for some final time at Diagon Alley enjoying the experience. Then left the park around 6 and ate in the boardwalk area at an Italian restaurant. Once we got back to our car, we drove to Palm Beach for the night. (Josie slept the whole way)

This morning, we woke up and only had an hour drive to Miami for the cruise. It was an easy ride and so exciting! We arrived around 12:30 and had plenty of time to explore the ship. It is huge!!! Our room is great too. Caroline is so excited about the Tween area and Josie loved the kids’ club. WE explored all day and Hubert even got a massage! We set sail to Mickey and crew celebrating! A nice dinner and we are ready for bed. We are all very happy and ready for tomorrow’s adventure on Disney’s private island. Boy, our blessings are many! I know that I am biased, but I swear, this family is the best.