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Published: July 20th 2011
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When we heard that my family was planning a trip to Universal studios to visit the Wizarding World, we had to tag along! We are big fans of all things HP, and were thrilled to see how they pulled this off. Arriving at Universal Studios a half hour before opening time, we were armed with snacks, stroller et al. Making it past the horde surrounding the gates we gave the parts of the park we passed through cursory glances and little more. Hogsmeade and Hogwarts awaited, and what could possibly be more interesting? On the way, we saw a few true fanatics dressed in robes & cloaks. It made me feel a little better, and well, more normal.
Approaching the gates to Hogsmeade, Universal staff were shouting that only a limited number of people were being allowed in at once. It was chaotic, but some order prevailed as we managed to get tickets with an entry time of 11:50 am. So we had a few hours to kill, wandering around the Dr. Seuss section & ToonTown. I took Em on the Seuss Carousel, since that was about the only ride a one-year old was able to go on. She didn't
react much to the smooth spinning or oddball creatures, but we rode twice anyway.
After a trip on one of the water rides featuring a round raft (refreshing & almost relaxing, besides the shrieking of my 14 year old sister as we all got drenched) we walked back towards the HP section. At last, our entry time rolled around! We passed under the gates and were instantly surrounded by "snowy" rooftops, crooked stone shops & masses of butterbeer-clutching muggles. We stayed in that section of the park for the next 8 hours- riding every ride, thrilling in the cobbled walkways & magical atmosphere. Butterbeer carts were ubiquitous, dispensing frothy mugs to the lines that stretched almost across the length of Hogsmeade. I liked the Dueling Dragons coasters- Hungarian Horntail & Chinese Fireball. The Flight of the Hippogriff coaster was geared more towards smaller kids- I didn't think it was really worth the line, though seeing Hagrid's Hut through the trees was cool. It was also one of the three rides my brother (who despises rollercoasters) went on.
We visited the Three Broomsticks for lunch, sitting outside for a lovely view of Hogwarts and the moat. Our table had
roast chicken & corn, chicken salad, cornish pasties, shepherd's pie and chicken strips. Butterbeer all around, of course. It was all good, better than I expected for amusement park fare. We agreed that the butterbeer wasn't as tasty as the homemade version we had made before. Em was distraught for more though- I gave her a sip of mine, which brandished her with a foamy mustache as she wailed when I pulled the cup away. Winding down a bit after the heavy meal, we watched a performance by the Toad Choir, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Everyone else wanted to go inside Ollivander's Wand Shop, but Em had just fallen asleep in the stroller (which we couldn't bring inside) so I stayed with her and people watched. I loved the idea that everybody passing by was as enthralled with the books coming to life this way as I was, though that probably wasn't true. The ever present whining kids & parents plunking down cash for anything and everything available for purchase reminded me that it is an amusement park, and that some people were just there because they could be.
In any case, we then stepped into Honeydukes & Zonko's (both
hogsmeade
baby & me. small, rather disappointing) and then went to wait in line for THE ride. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The wait time was 2+ hours for most of the day, about 90 minutes when we got in line. The line was
long. Just when I would think there wasn't much more to go, I would see yet another curve, where the line would double back again! There wasn't much interesting to look at back there, and the guys around us were shirtless and obnoxious. They settled down when a girl in front of them almost passed out from heat exhaustion (we think). At long last, we made it up to the Herbology greenhouse section of the line, that was a little more interesting and there were ceiling fans to cool off a bit. Then, we entered Hogwarts. The line continues into the castle for quite some time, but I wanted it to slow down at that point! Crafted by the designers from the movies, it was honestly like stepping into one of the films.
I was fascinated by the moving paintings, and a lot of replicated ephemera from the films! The Defense Against the Dark Arts room was awesome,
featuring a holograph of Harry, Ron & Hermione introducing you to the crisis they need your help with during the ride itself. Dumbledore's office was brilliant, where you learn that a dragon has escaped & to be on the look out! At last, you come to the boarding platform. Sideways benches present themselves to be strapped into, and you're off. It was the best ride in the whole park! You feel like you're riding on a broomstick, being attacked by dementors, the Whomping Willow, & the dragon of course! Totally worth the wait. We went on it several more times just before the park closed, when the wait time was only 10 minutes (which is just walking time from the entrance through the castle). Fantastic. If we ever visit again, it will be to go on that ride, over and over, all day long.
We capped off the evening with some pumpkin juice, enjoying the almost empty streets as it got dark and most people left. The lanterns flickered on, increasing the magical aura around us. Mandrakes squawked from the window of an herbology shop, and we admired the Yule Ball costumes displayed in Madame Malkin's window. It was
another world in the twilight hours, with the daytrippers & noisome crowds gone. I must admit that I wished for my robe & wand, and to have my run of the place. That is extremely dorky but I would love it! Once 9 pm hit and the rides shut down, we wearily trekked back to the cars. Poor Em's summer outfit left her chilly and cranky until she was back in her carseat, where she slept more soundly than in my arms. Overall she did very well that day- much better than I expected! We ate some sandwiches that had been in the cooler, and began the drive home. For whatever reason, someone decided that 9:30 pm on a Friday night was the perfect time to do road work, causing the highway out of Orlando to be narrowed to one lane. Since most drivers are utterly incapable of merging until the last possible second, traffic was backed up for miles and miles. Our 2.5 hour drive became 4, and we were exhausted by the time we got home. We all fell into bed, visions of chocolate frogs dancing in our heads.
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