Photo TR: Wastin' Away Again in HarryPotterville

[BeemerBoy]

It was that time again. Time to head back home for some good times with family, friends, food, Ferrari, and Orlando! This wasn't our typical Florida mission though. Potter was calling. And since I don't have a frickin' clue about the series, I was lucky to bring along the biggest Potter nerd I know.....my lovely wife.

 

I'm getting ahead of myself. You'll see Potter through my eyes soon enough; however, first things first...and that means some randomness from Fort Lauderdale, followed by a good heaping of WDW, topped off with some sweet Epcot whipped cream (and tequila).

 

In between updates, feel free to comment, complain, or whatever. Not sure what to say? Say anything then. Here's a short list of suggestions. Think of it as a "value meal" at the TR drive thru:

 

1) Hey, nice report. Can't wait to see more!

2) Wow, that food looks like it'd cause a party in my tummy.

3) I need a beer.

4) Tyler is my hero.

5) This report sucks donkey balls.

6) I hate you.

 

And now, our feature presentation....in stunning 2D. Enjoy!

 

Fort Lauderdale/EPCOT Tequila Bar

EPCOT/Magic Kingdom

Potterville/USF

KUKA arm in "B" mode!!

It's always good to top off the tank with a little T&A first.

The official motel of all British travelers.

In south Georgia, you eat at DQ, or die.

Rail dorks unite.

Why is this place in South Georgia not featured on more travel shows? I mean, look at what's next door......

....only the most kicka$$ water slides with goat poop splashdown....EVER.

"My man MCA's got a beard like a billygoat."

Yay?

Oh, but it does have these. And that's never a bad thing.

Recommendation time. If you're in Fort Lauderdale, love poker, good food, and horse racing, The Isle Casino is where to go.

Also, if you can name each of these bottles, you might also wanna look into AA.

Seriously though. This place is like an off-strip Vegas quality joint for locals. And the buffet is pretty darn good!

Oh, and the poker room gets high marks from yours truly.

Stopped by the old stomping grounds to see some old friends.

If you live in the Southeastern US and have purchased a Toyota, then you helped buy this megayacht.

I'm on a marine vessel, my friend.

"Me likey."

This is the "W." It's apparently one of the latest new swank hotels on the beach. I was not impressed with anything but....

....this. The jellyfish wall in the restaurant.

 

Moving right along....

Hello, Pittsburgh.

I took a few moments to stop by this used car joint.

Must be remnants of that "cash for clunkers" thing.

These cars go fast.

Drool.

Okay, recommendation time again. If you're an ice cream fan (and I know there's at least one in here!), then you HAVE to visit this place in Dania Beach.

Translation: We can now charge you out the a$$ for whatever we want.

 

Honestly though, it's still worth it!

This is a creepy paper mache of the owner, and his patented creation, "The Kitchen Sink."

It's a registered trademark and design, and it's reserved for groups of 4 or more, and costs $12.95 a person (no sharing).

The place isn't big at all, but it fills up fast. It's not uncommon later in the day to see 2 hour waits to get in. That's why we went early and decided to eat dessert first before heading to LaSpadas for hoagies!

Another look at the quirky interior.

Here's the adjoining room. That's pretty much it, really. Again, arrive early!

Did I mention they make their own ice cream? Well, if not, then let me tell you. They make their own ice cream.

I told you it was expensive, right?

$7.00 malt? Yes, please. And make it Strawberry Banana.

Shan's not a big ice cream fan, so she settled for potato cakes. Mmmm

Just as I remembered - still AWESOME. Seriously, believe the hype.

These were in the gift shop, and this was not staged. Really, I can't make this stuff up.

Yes. And yes, we did.

Best. Damn. Hoagies.

Their slogan does not lie.

LaSpada's, Lighthouse Point, Shannon. Win.

What does it mean???

Words fail.

The next morning, headed northbound on the FL Turnpike, we discovered a new edition. Haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I hear good things.

 

 

UP NEXT: EPCOT!!!!!

Edited September 24, 2010 by BeemerBoy

[jarmor]

5&6)hate I report you sucks This donkey balls.

[BeemerBoy]

Epcot.

TRONorail! Okay, I admit, it looks pretty good in person. But I sure as hell hope this doesn't become a trend for every movie to follow.

RUMOR: Disney is considering partnering with George Lucas for the next Spaceship Earth overhaul. This *could* happen, and does seem plausible. By choosing Lucas, the project would involve minimal cost and downtime. Supposedly, his vision for the new ride simply involves turning the ride vehicles around, and reversing their direction on the track.

TRONorail. If you have your 2D glasses on right now, this is coming right at you!

Hey, Captain EO's back!

Construction update: still constructing.

And it'll have a nice view.

Okay, stop, collaborate and listen. Open a new tab in your browser, go to YouTube, and type "Nada, Refreshments," and click the first video. Then come back, and you'll have great background music for the next 10 pics. Do it.

This is now one of my favorite bars on the planet.

If you're a fan a premium tequila, then you NEED to stop in here. It's a really cool, quaint little placed tucked inside the Mexican pavilion.

I loved everything about this bar. It's small, the lighting is low and relaxing, and it's just got a great vibe for drinking.

This is Pepe. Pepe knows his stuff! He was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and after I mentioned what I was looking to try, he made several suggestions until we settled on the perfect choice....Cabo Wabo anejo!

Come, won't you join me?

I don't always drink tequila, but when I do, I now prefer Cabo Wabo.

 

Seriously, this is really good stuff. A nice, smooth, sipping tequila with great taste. A bit pricey, but quality is never cheap.

One of the following statements is false:

 

- Of the first two Van Halen lead singers, Sammy Hagar was one of them.

- Sammy recorded "Mas Tequila."

- That song sucks.

- His tequila doesn't.

- If you drink enough of this stuff, George Lopez becomes funny.

So choice.

If I had been able to stay here, this would have been the result.

There might be a joke here.

We ate here today.

Okay, technically it was here.

While it can be a bit noisy in here, the food quality has not fallen off a bit, in my humble opinion anyway.

Shan had the Mahi Mahi. I sampled some, and it was melt in your mouth delicious!

I chose the lobster ravioli, and was not let down.

Again, it's Epcot. It's a bit pricey. But it's darn good eatin'.

Plus, we got to see a shark get pissed off at a stingray while we ate. You really can't put a price on entertainment like that.

TRONorail...

...TRONorail....

...TRONo....do'h!

We all know what's over there now.

Hey kid, have you tried the Jesus Juice yet?

Epcot has had World of Color for 28 years.

This is the worst picture I've ever taken at Epcot.

 

I'll try and make up for it with some Smiths lyrics.

"If a double-decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die."

Do you see the gold hidden Mickey in this picture?

I personally think fireworks should be set off each time a monorail enters the park. Or cast members should hand out cupcakes, or at least some nice lunch meats.

 

 

Stay tuned. A little more Epcot soon.

[ParkTrips]

1. You make it sound like South Georgia is bad...?

 

2. I remember Shannon posting a status about goats and wondering wtf she was talking about. Even after seeing the pics, I'm in the same position of confusion

 

3. If we can name all of the cars on the lot, what is the organization that we should seek help from?

 

4. Primanti's owns.

 

5. What on earth does this have to do with Theme Parks, Roller Coasters & Donkeys?

 

6. If words fail, you've been in the country too long! That's something I see everyday in East Atlanta

 

7. You suck.

 

 

and since you posted your EPCOT pics as I posted this, I suppose #5 is dismissible now. Andy why didn't I know there was a tequila bar there? =(

[Meteornotes]

- If you drink enough of this stuff, George Lopez becomes funny.

 

This is obviously the false one, as there is not enough alcohol in the universe to make George Lopez even remotely funny.

 

dt

[Hhappy]

1) Hey, nice report. Can't wait to see more!

2) Wow, that food looks like it'd cause a party in my tummy.

3) I need a beer.

4) Tyler is my hero.

5) This report sucks donkey balls.

6) I hate you.

 

I'm missing one option..

7) we need more pictures of the wife, she looks amazing

 

Nice report and pictures.

[Hilltopper39]

Was that picture of the railroad in the first half of the report in Waycross, GA? I drive through south Georgia for work ever couple of weeks and could have sworn I saw that same mural there. I definitely recognize that abandoned water slide, somewhere around Folkston/Callahan Okefenokee Swamp area. Ahh south Georgia

[mcjaco]

...topped off with some sweet Epcot whipped cream (and tequila).

 

Mmmm, EPCOT with whipped cream.......and tequila........and beer........

[televisedconfession]

Yeah, I absolutely love that tequila bar in Mexico. Great PTR.

[CD]

Great PTR so far! As for Earl of Sandwhich, I HIGHLY recommend it. The protions are small but the sandwhiches are too good for words to describe. There's one in DTD you should check out next time you're there.

[larrygator]

Potterville lokks great!

 

nevermind

[BeemerBoy]

Great Photo TR so far! As for Earl of Sandwhich, I HIGHLY recommend it. The protions are small but the sandwhiches are too good for words to describe.

Thanks. Yeah, I really wanted to try one, but it was breakfast time, and we were in a slight rush to get to EPCOT. Definitely next time though!

 

1. You make it sound like South Georgia is bad...? Well, coastal southeast GA= good.

 

2. I remember Shannon posting a status about goats and wondering wtf she was talking about. Even after seeing the pics, I'm in the same position of confusion. Me too.

 

3. If we can name all of the cars on the lot, what is the organization that we should seek help from?

You mean the 360, Granturismo, GT3 RS, Quattroporte, Rover, SLR, Vanquish, and 599GTB?

 

4. Primanti's owns. Yep.

 

5. What on earth does this have to do with Theme Parks, Roller Coasters & Donkeys? Everything.

 

6. If words fail, you've been in the country too long! That's something I see everyday in East Atlanta hehe.

 

7. You suck. I know.

 

Was that picture of the railroad in the first half of the report in Waycross, GA?

Indeed it was! We took a slightly different route south this time, and wound up passing some, um, "unique" sights.

 

I'm missing one option..

7) we need more pictures of the wife, she looks amazing

Thank you, sir. I'll see what I can do about that!

 

 

Dave and Matt - You are both absolutely correct.

 

Thanks again, everyone. The saga continues this afternoon.

[ginzo]

I've seen Primanti Brothers on Travel Channel a few times. They always feature a scary "summer teeth" woman yelling about how they only serve white bread.

 

Nice Jacko reference. Nice report.

[jynx242]

Great trip report so far!

 

Vanquish = yummy yummy yummy

 

EXTRA COOL POINTS for including The Smith's.

 

David

[Brandy524]

Awesome report so far. Looking forward to more!

[BeemerBoy]

Thanks, guys! Here comes more EPCOT all up in your grill.

I want this in my front yard.

Like, OMG, my shirt has Japan on it and...

....we're IN JAPAN. OMG.

Two of these women were deported after this shot was taken. It's illegal to pose without the peace sign. If you're viewing this from back home in Japan, I'm sorry. It's a great shot though, you gotta admit.

I bought one of these once. I carried it around the rest of the day, and it even rode "good" Tower with us. I named it Rod Serling. Then he went home with us and died under my care. I'm not good with plants.

But I know what to do with this!

Translation: You will not be able to eat this because somehow the plastic wrapping will become brittle and fused with the actual candy.

Before I forget, did I mention we skipped Canada? We were gonna stop in, and then I overheard someone mention Nickleback. Canada and I are not on speaking terms.

Thirteen people stood around taking pictures of this squirrel. I didn't wanna be left out, just in case it was Bea Arthur, back from the dead or something.

It wasn't Bea Arthur.

The Voices of Liberty.

 

Go. Listen. To. Them.

Hi, Elissa.

And now, the new Italian restaurant: Via Napoli!

Manager Rocco: "Vincenzo, you see the way that family is looking at us?"

Vincenzo: "Yes, sir."

Manager Rocco: "I don't like it. After they've paid, I want you to invite them out back for a secret gondola ride."

Vincenzo: "But sir, we don't have a gondola ri........ohhh, okay, yes sir."

"Table 42, special sauce. Table 26, hit on their daughter in Italian....."

This is just one more place in EPCOT I need to dine at now. Also, those conversation may not have been entirely accurate. My eyesight is still rather good, but the hearing is a bit sketchy from time to time.

Tunnel? Check. Taken? Check.

As I'm typing this, many TPR members are ready to travel to the real Germany, and get real drunk. Have fun, guys!

China.

Trolls and polar bears. That sums up Norway, I think.

Oh wait, and blonde chicks. But why isn't this young woman blonde? I thought there was some kind of international law about this?

If this doesn't win a 2011 Golden Ticket for "Best accidental picture taken of Scott's a$$ while walking around EPCOT," I'm gonna be PISSED.

I got nothing.

The pleasure was all mine.

Someone buy me these.

I'm gripping my banana.

I'm at EPCOT with a frozen banana, and you're not. I win!

Hey, Gary, you and Calina are in the trip report. Just pointing that out.

A wager was made on the incoming monorail color.

Guess who won?

Right now, I hate you, monorail silver.

 

For the record, both of my color choices were later seen on the resort line. Yeah, that's just fantastic.

I had never seen this ceremony before. It's the lowering of the flag for the evening.

This gentlemen had just returned from serving in Iraq. Hat's off to you, sir.

Nobody ever takes pictures of these. I just did.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: "Secret photoshop and high tech digital editing programs have been around since the early 1900's. Every second of film, and every photo you've ever seen of Walt Disney has been digitally enhanced to remove the unfortunate pigeon on his head.

One in 50 billion humans are born with this rare abnormality. What about his live appearances, you ask? Holograms.

Yes, they have been around since the clone wars, dating back to the late 1500's.

This statue was commissioned to commemorate the truth that's been hidden from the public for decades.

Well, it's nice to see this section was put to good use.

You can never have too many pay phones these days.

Still my number one steel coaster. Really. The new audio is kinda meh with me, but it still doesn't detract from the ride itself, which is still AWESOME.

Oh, and the queue line video game things....nice touch!

Yep.

These exist because Americans are ignorant.

THIS IS BRAND NEW TECHNOLOGY!!!!!!!

The Claaawww.

Mmmmm.

"Aww, cmon, I said ONE bite..."

Mmmmm.

"I'm kind of a big deal."

Disney wanted to be sure there was no confusion, should a certain Minnesotan ever visit.

My princess.

I predict these will be as popular as Butterbeer.

These people stole their hats.

Good seats still available without FastPass.

Every Person Comes Out Tired.

 

 

 

UP NEXT: HARRY POTTER!!!! (and Colin)

[mcjaco]

"I'm kind of a big deal."

 

I tell my wife the same thing.

 

Usually to a snort and a laugh.

[MrMorgan]

I started looking thru this thread and got totally into the interesting pics and captions and what have you. By the beginning of page 2, I had forgotten the original reason WHY I had chosen this thread in the first place. It was because I wanted to see some of Harry Potter world. Alas, I am left high and dry, and it's 2:11am here in Deutschland and I better go to bed.

 

And on another random note:

 

I love tequila, too, and enjoy spending money on the good stuff.

Your wife IS hot.

Why does that goat have his own waterslide(s)?

I saw the film "The Human Centipede".

[Electerik]

So, you went to Jaxson's, and you took a bunch of pictures of the menu and the decor, but not one photo of any actual ice cream.

 

Harrumph!

 

//The malt doesn't count.

/6

[moinab]

I totally thought of you, when I saw those retro Epcot shirts! Didn't buy you one, though. Sorry.

 

WTF with the squirrels? We saw tons of people obsessing over squirrels. Do they not have squirrels in South America?

 

Too many laughs to comment on, here at work!

[BeemerBoy]

Well, since the complaint box is just about full, I guess it's time to move on.

Aww, son of a bitch. I gotta deal with this all day? Fine, let's get over to Potterville.

Yay! I think.

This picture has been

These people are waiting a long time to purchase a $35 dollar "magical wand," probably made of the finest plastic in China.

J.K. Rowling is my hero.

Can you keep a secret?

There's a big concrete box under there. Shhhh.

The skies in England are always this blue.

Here's a teaser for the second half of the Potterville section of this report.....we got to ride it in "B" mode!

I still get confused which hog is which. I don't lose any sleep over it though.

There's beer in there.

And good stuff, too. Honestly, the Potter brew (whatever it's name is) was actually pretty tasty. Thanks for the sample, Andrew!

Steven Spielberg and J.K. Rowling are actually neighbors. That's why Universal is leaving it like this. It's in the contract.

Easy now. We're headed back to Potterville again later.

Hi, Lou.

Andrew LOVES tower rides.

..5...6...7....8.....

I don't like Dr. Suess. Yes, I'm the one.

Closed.

I've been to the park many times. This was the first time I had ridden this. Yep, that's pretty much it, really.

Hi, Colin!

 

Crap, I forgot to mention Colin was with us. Colin was with us. He's awesome.

He is a true master of photographic poses. Pay attention and study his wide range as this report continues on.

Eh, I think I'll stick with James Westphal and Dr. Kenneth Noisewater.

Hi, Rick!

We left for HRRRRRRRRR. But have no fear, we'll be back with more Potter stuff again later.

Bold NBA prediction: This is the size of the hand print Delonte West will have across his face at some point in the season.

I think a theme park like this is LONG overdue.

Construction Update: Finished. Kind of. I think.

Final cost: $39 Gazillion

Colin, this tattoo = chick magnet.

We got a front row seat, and chose "Poker Face," remixed by Tyler Hedrick for our listening pleasure. I'm not telling you the secret number.

Yay for Colin. He's neat and stuff.

Andrew was intent on starting his own IMDB page.

This is him co-starring in "Mutha Nature," with former Miami Hurricane, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

We are frightened.

Try me, bitch. I dare ya to tag Robb in this photo.

Queue - Awesome

Ride - not so much

Oh yeah, the queue music at MiB? Let's just say, it was Hammer time. A lot.

Colin: "No one ever takes a pic of the hot dogs."

Me: "Well, let's do something about that."

"I'll have a Duff, you'll have a Duff..."

That's what she said.

Andrew can no longer torture the turnstile employees.

If you haven't guessed, we're headed back to Potterville now. You'll see that next.

 

Until then, you have to wait, I suck, and you pretty much hate me. See you soon.

[moinab]

So full of win!

 

Shakonohey!

[stricklandCC]

My man MCA's got a beard like a billygoat

 

Best Beastie Boys plug EVAR! sorry got a little too excited over that, I'm just a mild fan of my 3 MC's

 

Great trip report, I need a beer.

[Electerik]

 

The physical and visual overlap between JP and TWWOHP bothers me. A lot. Expect lots of bitching when I finally get around to covering either of those areas in my little thread.

 

Also, it's fine that you don't like Seuss Landing. Lots of people without souls don't.

[stingrock23]

It's nice to see Disney roll out more retro Epcot shirts. I've got a few from a couple of years ago, and the ones in this report are completely different.