The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I have found another little piece of heaven on earth. It is at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Yes. It is Harry Potter World. It was AMAZING!! Granted, it was hot enough to be hell (99 degrees with a heat index of 110), and the lines were another form of hell (2 hours just to enter that part of the park, another 2 to shop at Dervish and Banges, you get the idea), but what do you expect on opening weekend? My oldest, her friend and my friend (her mother) went to opening day. Up at 3:00am, arrived at 4:30am and waited until opening at 9:00 but were amongst the first 100 in the crowd to enter and they saw most of the cast from the movies. They had a blast. Since I was hosting a party at my house that evening with around 100 guests, I couldn't go. Plus, I usually avoid the theme park scene like the plague in the summer, but I couldn't resist. I headed back with them and Kade on Sat and had the most fun I've had in a long time.

Everything I visualized in the books and the movies was there. Universal has outdone everyone in bringing JK Rowling's books to life. Hogsmeade is so cool. The shops built exactly like you imagine them looking. The castle and ride inside one of the best I've ever been on. And the moving portraits in the castle? Still trying to figure out how they accomplished that. I didn't care for the regular on tap butter beer, but the frozen one is delicious!! Didn't want to wait in line to eat at the 3 Broom Sticks, but the girls did the day before and they loved it. Purchased my Gryfindor robes and tie for the next movie premier, Halloween, the winter at the park (of course I will dress up to go when it is cooler) and I think I'll even go put them on now to read some books. The rides were incredible. Zonkos and Honeydukes amazing, Ollivanders exactly as seen in the movies, the owlry very cool (you can even send mail post marked from Hogwarts...how cool is that?), I could go on and on, and can't wait for it to cool down so I can take the other 2 boys as often as possible. They can't wait to go and have a wand choose them, get their own robes and ties, and join in the fun Harry Potter world.

(You know it has to be amazing when even the cast from the movies are left speechless)


If you love the books and/or the movies, you have to find a way to visit at some point in the future. Let me know when you're planning on coming and I'll visit with you. If I could, I would probably try to get hired to work there so I could dress up and live there as much as possible. It was that amazing. So come and join in the fun with me. Nothing is as fun as being a witch or wizard and not having the muggle world look at you a bit odd.