The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

We are big fans of Harry Potter in the Nawrot house. We've read all the books, listened to all the audios, and seen all the movies. Nobody could have been more excited about the new expansion of Universal that opened this past June. However, the place was chaos. The heat and humidity, the crowds, 3 hours to get into the Harry Potter section, 2 hours to get a wand, 2 hours to ride the rides. Please.

But my daughter put her foot down. She must see it before school started, even if we had to wait in lines. So I donned my hat, took my Prozac (ha) and off we went.

We arrived right when the park was opening, and were happy to see that there were no lines to get into the new area. Still, once you get into Hogsmeade, it was nearly standing room only. (An hour and a half after the opening of the park, however, the line was very long.)

Within the Wizarding World, there are three rides, but two of them (a tame coaster and a kick butt coaster) have been refurbished from before, therefore not new to us. Our goal was to ride the new attraction, The Forbidden Journey. Riders must be 48 inches tall to ride. (There has also been some scuttlebutt about the ride not accommodating larger folks as well.) At 9am, the wait for this ride was one hour, and does not offer an express option. We decided to get in the single rider line, and it took only 15 minutes. Another tip? Don't bring your backpacks and bags to the park...period. Not only do you have to have these bags checked by security before you enter Universal (which is a long line) but for this particular ride, all guests carrying bags have to stand in a long line just to put their gear into lockers. I shove all of my belongings in pockets. It's the way to go.

The queue meanders through the Hogwarts castle. All of the framed pictures on the walls are actually LCD TVs, and they move and talk. Right before you get on the ride, the Sorting Hat wishes you well.

The ride itself it a blast. Your car moves through different rooms in the castle, and incorporates film, movement and three dimensional elements, like steam and water, to make it a virtual ride. You feel like you are riding a broom, and get to come face-to-face with dementors!

Once you are wandering around Hogsmeade, you are faced with more lines. Particularly, if you want to buy a wand at Olivander's (an experience in itself, I am told), you must wait for the privilege. There is a "secret entrance" in the back of the shop that will allow you to bypass the lines, but alas, it is no longer secret. There was a long line for that too!

So, we had to try Butterbeer, right? All three of us got a cup of it, and all I can say is...now we know what it tastes like. To me, it was like a butterscotch candy liquefied and kind of milky. Frankly it was pretty gross. None of us could finish it. They serve it regular and frozen. They also served Pumpkin Juice too, but we chickened out. (See their faces? They're not looking too sure, are they?)

We did shop at Zonkos Joke Shop (Emma got a Pygmy Puff. When you buy one, they ring a bell and announce to the crowd that a "Pygmy Puff named Poofy has just been adopted!". I also bought the kids Chocolate Frogs at Honeydukes. I did notice they have a restaurant called The Three Broomsticks, where guests can dine on authentic British food. The village is a feast for the eyes and senses - the attention to detail allows for lots of browsing.









































So is anyone planning on visiting? We definitely will be returning ourselves...when it is cooler and when there are a few less people visiting the park!