#38 - Zombies, Wizards and Mummies

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit my best friend in Orlando, Florida. Carol was with us for new adventures #1, since she flew out to Colorado to be part of my 40th birthday.  Based on the plans we had made for the weekend,  I initially didn't think I'd have any new experiences while in Florida. However, it turns out I had several new adventures.

Carol's 19 year old stepdaughter, Stephanie, has always had an interest in special effects type make-up.  Last fall she worked at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, and this solidified her interst. For Christmas she received a make-up airbrush set. I didn't even know such a thing existed, but as soon as I learned that it did, I wanted to try it out.  Steph said that the Universal make-up artists used airbrush for all teh zombies' makeup for Horror Nights.  She showed me the basics, and I tried it out on her. Of course, I had no idea of what creature I was attempting to transform her into; I sort of made it up as I went along, and as I got the hang of the airbrush.  The end product pretty much revealed that I had no idea what I was doing.  We decided that, maybe, she looked a little like the plant from Rocky Horror Picture Show.  After I finished her make-up, she took a shot at me. I think the pictures below show that she is a bit more skilled with the airbursh than I am. I looked like a pretty convincing zombie.  It was a fun experience overall, and I was pretty intrigued by the technology of it.  The airbrush uses a ridiculously small amount of paint. 

Steph still works at Universal Studios and was kind enough to give me a guest pass. This allowed me the new adventure of  visiting Universal's newer park, Islands of Adventure. The most popular attraction is the Harry Potter ride, which just opened last summer.  Set in in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the ride is billed as having the latest, greatest ride technology.  We arrived to an expected wait time of 90 minutes, which actually isn't too bad for Harry Potter. In only 65 minutes we were ready to board.  It was definitely thrilling.  It is a combination of twisty-turny rollercoaster with IMAX type movie shots that make you feel like you're playing Quidditch or just flying on your broom among Dementors.  It stayed true to the Harry Potter books and movies.

After riding Harry Potter, we headed over to the original Universal Studios park. I have been there before, so visiting the park was not, it itself, a new adventure. However, the original King Kong ride has been replaced with Revenge of the Mummy. This also happens to be the ride where Stephanie works. So, we headed over to say Hi to Stephanie and to give the ride a whirl.  It is a fairly short ride, but it jolts you around quite a bit.  I know I'm getting older, and I can't decide if it is my age or the fact that rides are more extreme than in the past, but after Harry Potter and Revenge of the Mummy, I was feeling a hint of nausea. As soon as we got off the ride, Stephanie informed us that she was on break, and as an employee, she could walk us past the line and directly back on to the ride. Who wouldn't pass up a behind-the-scenes trek up to the front of the line? So, while my stomach was wondering if it was a good idea, I immediately said, "Sure!"  Back on the ride we went, and after surviving a second go-round, I decided I would decline if she offered another fast pass!  It was certainly fun, but I am not able to ride such rides at this stage in life without feeling some physical effect. Bummer!

I had a really great visit, and I considering it a bonus that I was able to check off another new adventure (or three).  While I'm excited that completion of my 40 new adventures is imminent, it is also sad to watch this whole process near its end.  It has been such great fun that saying goodbye to my 40 new adventures is the ONLY reason that I'm not looking forward to turning 41.