And When Did You Last See Your Father? - Universal Part 4 (Christmas Grinches & The Return of Wandy)

[Guest]

Originally Posted by SmilingSammie

I would rather have had a cool patronus like a dragon, or some form of cat but I trust J.Ks judgement

True though that it is not the worst patronus...

Oh goodness, they definitely could make a fortune with a HP themed hotel! Such a missed opportunity but maybe theres a reason they can't.

Oh and for the record my wand is Redwood wood with a Unicorn hair core 11" and Quite Bendy flexibility
Whats yours? If you mentioned it then I must have missed it!

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Lol...my wand was DEEP in the comments - and mine has a unicorn hair core, too. But in the trippie proper - I wanted Helen to get all the wand love ('cause, you know...RAT) with her "just like Dumbledore's" wand.

MY wand is...twelve and a quarter inches and made from the wood of an ash tree. Ash wands bond most solidly with their owners (who are often friendly, reliable types with strict honor codes) and will refuse to serve anyone else if the wand is won by another. Owners of this wand are confident in their abilities, but not ostentatiously so, and would never deign to brag or boast. Your wand is pleasantly springy and houses a single hair from a unicorn tail as its core. Unicorn hair produces wands that are resistant to blockages and generate the most dependable magic.

The description makes me sound like a complete goody two-shoes, but it's probably true that I am a "friendly, reliable type" - as much as I would prefer to be something cooler! What can I say? I AM probably more Molly Weasley than I am Bellatrix Lestrange. Darn it!


Also deep in the comments (somewhere) we talked about the websites that teach you how to GAME the patronus quiz. Seriously. That's as lame as cheating at solitaire, and I don't mean the Social Distortion song.

Own that basset hound, proud Hufflepuff! Shirts are even available for you...

[SmilingSammie]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

Lol...my wand was DEEP in the comments - and mine has a unicorn hair core, too. But in the trippie proper - I wanted Helen to get all the wand love ('cause, you know...RAT) with her "just like Dumbledore's" wand.

MY wand is...twelve and a quarter inches and made from the wood of an ash tree. Ash wands bond most solidly with their owners (who are often friendly, reliable types with strict honor codes) and will refuse to serve anyone else if the wand is won by another. Owners of this wand are confident in their abilities, but not ostentatiously so, and would never deign to brag or boast. Your wand is pleasantly springy and houses a single hair from a unicorn tail as its core. Unicorn hair produces wands that are resistant to blockages and generate the most dependable magic.

The description makes me sound like a complete goody two-shoes, but it's probably true that I am a "friendly, reliable type" - as much as I would prefer to be something cooler! What can I say? I AM probably more Molly Weasley than I am Bellatrix Lestrange. Darn it!


Also deep in the comments (somewhere) we talked about the websites that teach you how to GAME the patronus quiz. Seriously. That's as lame as cheating at solitaire, and I don't mean the Social Distortion song.

Own that basset hound, proud Hufflepuff! Shirts are even available for you...

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That is a wonderful wand description :P I do like my wand and the fact it has unicorn hair!

I see these things about how to cheat the quizzes. How ridiculous! Surely that defeats the purpose of even doing the tests in the first place?

I'll try and accept my basset hound as much as I can, although i'm not quite sure i'm ready to parade around in that tshirt! XD

[Guest]

Originally Posted by SmilingSammie

That is a wonderful wand description :P I do like my wand and the fact it has unicorn hair!

I see these things about how to cheat the quizzes. How ridiculous! Surely that defeats the purpose of even doing the tests in the first place?

I'll try and accept my basset hound as much as I can, although i'm not quite sure i'm ready to parade around in that tshirt! XD

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I think your wand sounds great - it's been so much fun to see all the different combinations of wood and core and...rigidity.

And I KNOW, right?! But I suppose everyone wants to be "the special one" - even people who should be old enough to know better.


Not quite ready for the t-shirt? I understand completely. But you know it's out there, lol.

When we were getting VERY silly with the patronus posts, I found a thestral HAT on etsy - it appears to be all that's available for me.

And yes, I know it looks like a jacka$$. Sigh.

[SmilingSammie]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

I think your wand sounds great - it's been so much fun to see all the different combinations of wood and core and...rigidity.

And I KNOW, right?! But I suppose everyone wants to be "the special one" - even people who should be old enough to know better.


Not quite ready for the t-shirt? I understand completely. But you know it's out there, lol.

When we were getting VERY silly with the patronus posts, I found a thestral HAT on etsy - it appears to be all that's available for me.

And yes, I know it looks like a jacka$$. Sigh.

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Hmm, it's a little bit more Bottom from A Midsummer Nights Dream than a Thestral?

But still pretty cute :3

[Guest]

Originally Posted by SmilingSammie

Hmm, it's a little bit more Bottom from A Midsummer Nights Dream than a Thestral?

But still pretty cute :3

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YES! - and...no.

[Cazzius]

Poot sounds like such a friendly soul, how nice to have another family to watch the concert with too.

I very much enjoyed his sections, particularly how you hurried away from the TM trying to tempt you over to the Simpsons, and how he didn’t want TATOR Tots, especially not when they were misspelt!

Universal looks excellent all done up for Christmas. I’m considering a 2019 trip (providing I win BF over to the Light Side on this trip), and late November (after Thanksgiving), to early December are looking like winners given the weather, crowd sizes and entertainment that you experienced.

I am SO impressed at your quick thinking with regard to Wandy, well done! Also, Poot’s honesty is a credit to you. I think at that age I’d be worried they’d choose someone else if I had a wand so would keep schtum!

Good plan regarding the wand too, if Poot still really wants ‘his’ wand he could always pass on Slughorn’s to a deserving cousin.
I think we’ll get one between us when we go. If I don’t get chosen for wand choosing (your idea to have an adult questionarire style option would be great), then I’ll pick one.
Problem is, my Pottermore wand is Hornbeam Wood, Phoenix feather core, 10 inches in length with “surprisingly swishy flexibility”. They don’t do a Hornbeam interactive wand, so I thought I’d go for Newt Scamander’s wand as he’s a Hufflepuff too… but they don’t do that either! Now I’m onto plan C – Sirius, Hermione or Vine.
Unless anyone knows their plans and can recommend a wand they do that is similar wood to Hornbeam? Any greenfingered Dibbers following April’s adventures?

As people are adding their Pottermore wand descriptions...
"hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term ‘vision’), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner’s style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner’s code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master’s principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand."

Those are great photos from Universal, I love how you managed to capture the fire breathing dragon on Gringotts' roof! That's some good timing.

The balloon parade looks like a lot of fun. I didn't know they did things like parades at Universal so that is good to know. Well done dealing with the rude bench standing people. I'd be very unimpressed with them too (and that's putting it politely).

The food you had in the lounge at Portofino Bay looks excellent, even if breakfast was a bit samey, with the recurring TATOR Tots. The dinners look very tasty and it seems like they provided variety every day.

Such a shame about the earthquake restaurant no longer quaking. Perhaps it caused a few too many spills and breakages. You’ve been fortunate with most of your meals not to have dud food I suppose it was bound to happen – at least it was a burger you were sharing and the milkshake redeemed it a little. Would have been worse if you had both ordered dry burgers, sad fries and had to pay twice the amount.

I’m so sad this trippie is almost at an end, and will now have to read your Washington DC trip too

Have you heard any more regarding Tiny Fencer? He must be getting ready to head back across the channel soon. I feel very invested in him being abandoned with no English in a strange country at boarding school now!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Cazzius

Poot sounds like such a friendly soul, how nice to have another family to watch the concert with too.

I very much enjoyed his sections, particularly how you hurried away from the TM trying to tempt you over to the Simpsons, and how he didn’t want TATOR Tots, especially not when they were misspelt!

There are more than a few Dibbers who have told me they read my trippies for Poot's reports. And that's fine with me - since he's a good kid, mostly. And he has NEVER met a stranger. He exchanges letters with the couple who runs the compost site near my mother's house. Truly.

Universal looks excellent all done up for Christmas. I’m considering a 2019 trip (providing I win BF over to the Light Side on this trip), and late November (after Thanksgiving), to early December are looking like winners given the weather, crowd sizes and entertainment that you experienced.

I just can't recommend that week enough. I know the week after Labor Day is meant to be even quieter, but the heat in early September is just too much for me.

I am SO impressed at your quick thinking with regard to Wandy, well done! Also, Poot’s honesty is a credit to you. I think at that age I’d be worried they’d choose someone else if I had a wand so would keep schtum!

Good plan regarding the wand too, if Poot still really wants ‘his’ wand he could always pass on Slughorn’s to a deserving cousin.
I think we’ll get one between us when we go. If I don’t get chosen for wand choosing (your idea to have an adult questionarire style option would be great), then I’ll pick one.
Problem is, my Pottermore wand is Hornbeam Wood, Phoenix feather core, 10 inches in length with “surprisingly swishy flexibility”. They don’t do a Hornbeam interactive wand, so I thought I’d go for Newt Scamander’s wand as he’s a Hufflepuff too… but they don’t do that either! Now I’m onto plan C – Sirius, Hermione or Vine.
Unless anyone knows their plans and can recommend a wand they do that is similar wood to Hornbeam? Any greenfingered Dibbers following April’s adventures?

You should ask this in General Chat - I was really surprised to see how many Dibbers were (super!) into their wands!

And more than ever, I am convinced that separating groups into "with kids" and "without" is the way for Universal to go. FWIW, I did think Hermione's wand very pretty - Sirius Black's was cool, too - I think it was black with runish-type things (we looked at ALL the wands for a LONG time ).

As people are adding their Pottermore wand descriptions...
"hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term ‘vision’), which will almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner’s style of magic, and will become so personalised, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner’s code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master’s principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand."

I *think* you're our only hornbeam wand...and you are right, that description is pretty awesome.

Those are great photos from Universal, I love how you managed to capture the fire breathing dragon on Gringotts' roof! That's some good timing.

The balloon parade looks like a lot of fun. I didn't know they did things like parades at Universal so that is good to know. Well done dealing with the rude bench standing people. I'd be very unimpressed with them too (and that's putting it politely).

It's rare that someone compliments ANY of my photos - many thanks!

And yes, it's a fun parade - especially since you don't have to pay extra to see it (MVMCP, I'm looking at you!) - but I think I would have really appreciated an overarching "theme" or song, or...something.

Upon reflection, I probably should have been kinder to the bench standers - but you know how I am with manners......I tend to assume that everybody knows better and is just trying it on. But I suppose there are people who really DON'T know better.

The food you had in the lounge at Portofino Bay looks excellent, even if breakfast was a bit samey, with the recurring TATOR Tots. The dinners look very tasty and it seems like they provided variety every day.

The variety at breakfast was disappointing, to say the least. Who even WANTS tater tots (ahem) for breakfast? Dinner was a pleasant surprise, though - that exceeded my expectations.

Such a shame about the earthquake restaurant no longer quaking. Perhaps it caused a few too many spills and breakages. You’ve been fortunate with most of your meals not to have dud food I suppose it was bound to happen – at least it was a burger you were sharing and the milkshake redeemed it a little. Would have been worse if you had both ordered dry burgers, sad fries and had to pay twice the amount.

LOL...that's EXACTLY what I said. I don't know how I'll manage when Poot gets too big to share with me.


I’m so sad this trippie is almost at an end, and will now have to read your Washington DC trip too

You are too kind.

Have you heard any more regarding Tiny Fencer? He must be getting ready to head back across the channel soon. I feel very invested in him being abandoned with no English in a strange country at boarding school now!


LOVE the troll!


We've had a thank-you note from TF's mother (SGP) - and that's it. DH is very keen for the boys to be pals - but it was pretty obvious to me (and to the lads) that they have very little in common. I was proud of them both for trying to find things to do that they both enjoyed - but neither of them seemed sad to see the back of the other. Ah, well.

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I have replied in the quote again, in the hopes that it will make my reply a little bit less ping-pongy.