the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

Today, we take a look at Flight of the Hippogriff at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Hogsmeade, located inside Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Below and to the right of Hogwarts Castle, next to Hagrid’s Hut, the Hippogriff is short and sweet but not worth much of a wait. An outdoor, elevated coaster designed for children old enough to know about Harry Potter

Renee Sklarew, coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C., takes us on a tour of the National Portrait Gallery. Join her! When visitors come to Washington, I often suggest they include a stop at my favorite art museum located in the busy Penn Quarter/Chinatown neighborhood. This museum is very accessible for people of all ages and interests. When you first walk in,

The Disneyland Story, presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a nostalgic exhibit documenting the Disney success story, followed by an Audio-Animatronics patriotic presentation. The duration of the show is 15 minutes, including a preshow of Disney exhibits. The attraction is a warm and well-presented remembrance of the man who started it all. Well worth seeing, it’s especially touching for those

One time-saving option available to all Universal Orlando guests without extra charge is the single-rider (or singles) line. Several attractions at USF and IOA have this special line for guests who are traveling alone or are willing to be temporarily separated from their companions. Single riders wait in a separate queue and are slipped into vacant seats left by large

Liliane Opsomer, coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids, stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suite Waterpark. Here is her report. Following a $30 million renovation, the hotel formerly known as Nickelodeon Suites Resort is now the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites Waterpark. Sadly, all of the Nickelodeon experiences are gone: No Double Dare, no getting slimed. What