I went on an epic adventure to Universal Studios where I spent two days exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you have already been there, then you know how awesome it is. If not, I’m bringing the adventure to you!
On the first day, I went to Islands of Adventure to visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As soon as I walked through the Hogsmeade entrance, I felt like I had walked onto a movie set or a real Harry Potter dream. The ground is made of cobblestone; the buildings are all whimsical and pointy, and store windows have displays that actually move! (If you buy a wand from Ollivanders, you can activate the displays by waving your wand at them.)
In the middle of the crowd of witches, wizards, and Muggles, stood a large wooden cart with a wizard serving butterbeer. Since this is the beverage in the wizarding world, I had to give it a try. It has a surprisingly pleasant taste like butterscotch soda with a dollop of cream on top. Then I took a stroll through Honeydukes and bought my very own Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans (and they do mean every flavor). I accidentally ate a vomit-flavored bean and it didn’t go so well.
After passing Three Broomsticks, I finally came to the massive Hogwarts castle. Although its size is impressive, it is nothing compared to the magical experience inside. The pictures move and talk; the ceiling snows, and you can watch Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermione talk in some of the corridors. I won’t spill the beans on what the ride is like, but let’s just say it is awesome, scary, and exhilarating. I went on it twice and loved it both times!
On the second day, I went back to Hogsmeade to catch the Hogwarts Express which travels to King’s Cross Station, a.k.a. Platform 9¾. The exterior of the train is just like the movie in all red and black. Inside, there are cabins capable of holding 8-10 people. The ride, although short, is probably the best ride ever! The windows display scenic views of Hogwarts and show real wizards flying by on their broomsticks. Even the doors are animated. You can actually see and hear shadows of Harry and his friends walking by.
As soon as we stepped off the train, it felt like I had crossed the world and landed in London, a.k.a. Platform 9¾. The first place I wanted to go was Diagon Alley, but it was kind of hard to find. I had to really look at the small details of the map to see that Diagon Alley is actually hidden behind walls! You could easily walk past the entrance and not even notice it was there. It is a hidden passage which leads to another secret wall with an unfinished brick passageway just like when Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley for the first time.
Diagon Alley is everything I thought it would be, and more! There is a store for almost everything a wizard or witch needs, including books, robes, owls, Quidditch supplies, wands, and even Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The most impressive structure is Gringotts Bank, complete with a dragon perched on top. Inside, there are life-sized goblins that move and even blink as they work behind their desks. To get to the 3-D ride, “Escape from Gringotts,” you travel on moving elevators just like the ones in the Ministry of Magic. I don’t want to reveal all of the details of the ride, but let’s just say water and fire are involved and it is absolutely incredible!
If you want to chat with me and other Harry Potter fans about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, join the Harry Potter Message Board here. Ask me any questions you want and I’ll try my best to be as detailed as possible. TTYL!
-Sandy, STACKS Staffer
Diagon Alley in Florida, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in JapanHarry Potter movies,
complete with all the shops and spots like the Leaky Cauldron, Gringotts, Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor, and more. Guests can get their fill of Nosebleed Nougats, butterbeer ice cream, and other Diagon Alley specialties. The main attraction, of course, is the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride. The other attraction is . . . THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS!
The Hogwarts Express is actually a shuttle between 2 different theme parks inside of Universal Studios. You need a “Park-to-Park” ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express which costs $136. For $96, you can see either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade (but not both).
This Diagon Alley is the first of its kind in the (Muggle) world, but the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter to open outside of the U.S. is now in Osaka, Japan. It opened on July 14th and it is almost identical to the original one in Florida. Tom Felton
(who played Draco Malfoy in the movies) and
Evanna Lynch (who played Luna Lovegood in the movies) greeted fans on opening night and led lucky visitors into the new park the following morning!
Universal Studios Japan
Another Wizarding World is set to open at Universal Studios Hollywood in California in 2016.
So much Harry Potter
coming to life! It’s so exciting . . . and also kind of overwhelming. What do YOU think? Would you go to Diagon Alley? What other parts of Harry Potter’s world would you like to see made real for us Muggles? (Well, to be honest, Harry Potter has always
felt very real to me!) Share your thoughts in the Comments below!
En-Szu, STACKS Staffer
Imagine a place where literary adventures come to life. A theme park where you can visit some of the most beloved characters and places ever written about in technicolor life.
It exists. And I went there.
Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks anyone?
Yeah, on the last day of our vacation we spent the day at Universal's Islands of Adventure. I don't know if the people planning the park had this in mind, but it is seriously the most literary theme park I've ever been to and it was amazing. Of course they have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which we all loved, but there's also Seuss Landing with a super cool Cat in the Hat Ride, Jurassic Park with the exciting River Adventure ride (and a replica of the museum from the movie), Marvel Super Hero Island with the incredible Spider Man ride and The Lost Continent where you can explore Poseidon's Fury.
Okay, so Spider Man may not be strictly literary, but I was surprised that the inspiration for so much of the park came from the printed word. How cool is that? And walking through a town that looks like it had sprung from the pages of a comic book? Awesome!
As for Harry Potter world, where do I begin?
The level of detail put into every part of the park is just mind boggling, but seeing Hagrid's hut and the car in the whomping willow, watching people take money out of the Gringott's ATM and seeing Extendable Ears on the shelf -- it was SO FREAKING COOL!! We couldn't stop grinning the whole time we were there :D
The Pumpkin Fizz that my son got was surprisingly delicious, but the Butterbeer -- YUM! That thick head you see tasted like a creamy melted butterscotch candy. SO good! And yeah, I look like I'm wasted, but there isn't any alcohol in the butterbeer :)
Apparently the recipe for this drink is a highly guarded secret and the chef who created it actually flew to Edinburgh to bring J.K. Rowling a sample, to get her
stamp of approval before the park opened. (
You can watch an interview with him here.)
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is seriously the coolest ride ever and the walk through the castle to get to the ride is half the fun. Dumbledore talks to you as you pass through his office. Paintings on the wall talk to each other. The Fat Lady wakes up and scolds you when you go by the entrance to Gryffindor house.
But this might be my favorite thing. My souvenir from the d
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 2/3/2010
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
MTV,
Ypulse Essentials,
sexting,
teen mom,
lebron james,
coke zero,
a thin line,
wizarding world of harry potter,
McDonald's,
Add a tag
Upfront season at MTV? (an early, but energetic kick-off to the channel's spring lineup at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York offered a glimpse into what lies ahead including "Hard Times" and "If You Really Knew Me," a reality series about a day-long... Read the rest of this post
.jpeg?picon=2450)
That is like a writer's dream vacation! Some day! And that's awesome news for Beth! She must be so excited.
You lucky girl, you! I wish that park wasn't on the other side of the country. One thing, for sure, I want to go in winter like you did. I have a hard time imagining Hogwarts in a Florida summer. Those photos of you prove how much fun it's got to be.
And, I'm so excited for Beth. She's soaring, for sure.
I want to go soooo bad *pouts*
That is SO cool!
Isn't it the coolest ever! I am so glad I got to go...would go back in a second, but alas...too far away.
Love the scarf!
Shelley
Awesome!!
Butterbeer and the Three Broomsticks...I keep repeating that. I just like it. lol
I almost shared this with my daughters but decided not to. They were supposed to go to the Harry Potter theme park in December with my mother, but their flights were canceled twice because of snow. Fortunately, we're going in April, when there will hopefully be no snow ... I think I'll read through your post with them before we go : )
I am SO jealous! It looks like a fantastic vacation - I swear I'm going to make it there some day! Especially now after seeing your pics! Glad you guys had such a good time!
I'm soooo jealous! And so are my kids. ;)
Jealous of the HP world visit, and jealous of Beth's debut, lol. And her BOOK COVER zomg gorgeous.
Sounds amazing! I'm jealous, I think I need to plan a trip now...
Sherrie-
I'm so glad you and your family got to experience that. I'm extremely jealous, it looks like an amazing time. I'm reading Across the Universe now. I was forced to put it down because I have to work. Anyway, great book!
so jealous! Lucky you! Sounds like you had a blast and rock that Gryffindor pride!
I used to teach a few miles from Islands of Adventure. The high school my students eventually went to, Dr. Phillips, was right across the street. You could stand in the parking lot and hear the roller coaster screams. ;)
J-E-A-L-O-U-S!!! :-)
This looks so amazing! I've got to go, and take my kids. I would even ride an airplane to get there. (That's saying something . . .)
Mmmm...butterbeer. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.
Oh man, sounds like so much fun! I want to go to Harry Potter world so much! :) Love the scarf!
I can't wait to take my kids there!
Looks like an awesome trip!!
(my son has the same scarf!)
Mmmm want butterbeer!! Looks like you had a great time!! Super jealous.
That looks cool. I want to see that Harry Potter adventure place. I'm also celebrating for Beth. Cool!
wow! sounds like an amazing place to visit. My family will have to go there some time.
SO INCREDIBLY JEALOUS!
And YAAYYYYYY, BETH!! *Confetti* I'm SO happy and excited for her!
Jealous? Me too!! Love that you are wearing that scarf out and about so much. And hooray for Beth Revis. How long do we have to wait for the next one?
that looks WAY fun!
Oh I am SO jealous! But very glad for you that you had such a good time. :)