That One Time I Went to Harry Potter World in Orlando

This is a ;post I had planned to write a whilllllllllllle ago, but as evidenced in the past, I didn't.  Here you go! 

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I went to Orlando recently over the weekend to go to check off a bucket list item…Universal Studios to see Harry Potter land!!!  I have been wanting to go there since it opened but haven’t gotten the chance to go.

There are a couple options for tickets that you can choose from:  single park or multi-park.  The main difference is that you cannot go to both parks in one day and you cannot go on the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express between the parks.  I chose the single park option because I was going to be there two days anyway and I saw the ride on YouTube and it wasn’t worth the extra $80 (in my opinion).

The first day I went to Island of Adventure and the second day I went to Universal Studios.  If you have to choose between the two, I would choose Universal Studios.  I felt that Universal Studios Harry Potter land had more to see and do vs Islands of Adventure.  This post is only about Harry Potter worlds and I will detail the rest of the parks in another post.

I would also HIGHLY recommend going in the 'single rider' line if you don't feel the need to ride with your group.  I went almost straight to the ride each time I rode anything in either park (Harry Potter section or any other section of the parks)

Also, if you can, go back at night too.  There are so many things that light up after dark.  You will be amazed at all the stuff you didn't see while it was light outside.

There is so much to write but it would be too long.  Here is another persons blog that explains

Hogsmeade
and
Diagon Alley

Here are some of my favorite pictures though!

Wands! 

Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley both had different shops that you could use your ($40!!) wand to make spells and a the window shops do certain things.  Like you can use your wand at this fabric shop window display and the knitting needles are knitting a scarf (or sweater??) or another shop had a cauldron pot mixing by itself.  There is even a fountain where you use your wand and water shoots out on innocent people! :)

#12 Grimauld Place.  No, that isn't a shadow, it's hard "dark" it really is.

Knight Bus-you can get a picture with Stan in front of the Knight Bus!

One of the entrances to Diagon Alley. 

In Diagon Alley every 30 minutes or so the dragon on top of Gringott's breaths fire.  THAT is a cool thing to see.  You can kind of hear it getting ready before it goes off.