For the past eleven years, I have had one identifying trait about me. I love Harry Potter. I loved it when my second grade teacher started reading the first book to us aloud, I loved it when it wasn’t cool to read, I loved it when I had no friends. Harry Potter has gotten me through some of the toughest moments of my life. I find myself relating situations in my life to the characters.
As a rabid fangirl, I have been to the midnight releases for both the books and the movies. And when Universal announced that they had secured the rights to build a theme park in Universal’s Islands of Adventures, there was no question as to whether or not I was going.
Convincing my mom was not a hard feat. I showed her the website, the concept art. She agreed. It had to happen. The park’s opening was slated for 2010, the year I graduate high school. When my sister graduated in ’99, we all went to Disney. My trip would be to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opened June 18th, 2010. I could not contain myself.
The trip almost came to a screeching halt when I got hurt. The six-week limit for my supposed immoblizer was right up against our departure. I was devastated, but absolutely nothing was going to stop me from going. Of course, it all worked out and the Physician’s Assistant was completely wrong because he’s an idiot and I didn’t need the stupid immobilizer at all.
Three days, two nights. Orlando, Florida. Booked.
AMAZING.
We flew out early Thursday morning, the day after my wonderful city became the focus of national attention because of a drifting duck boat. I was nervous to fly, as I hadn’t since before 9/11. Going on the trip would be myself, my mother, and my sister. My dad is the odd one out in my house, the only one who’s never fallen under the spell. He opted to stay home and let us dork out in peace. We left my house at 4 in the morning and flew out a little before 7. The flight down was faster than expected and went smoothly. We arrived at Orlando International at 9 and got to our hotel at 10. We were staying in Universal, with all of the perks (Express passes, water taxi service, etc.) The hotel, the Loew’s Royal Pacific, had a (obvious) pacific theme to it. The service was wonderful and everyone there was incredibly helpful. The room was surprisingly ready when we got there, so we checked in and were at the park by 11.
The lines were long, but they moved quickly. I could see the castle getting closer and closer, and with each step I was becoming more and more excited as I could see what I had only seen in my imagination and on film in real life. Finally, we stepped through the gates. To our right was the Hogwarts Express, steaming and whistling. To our left was Zonkos Joke Shop and Honeydukes Sweets. It was as if I had fallen right into the movies. I’m pretty sure that my mouth was open in amazement for that entire first walk through. The attention to detail in the park was incredible. Stores that were meant to just be displays were still packed and made to look as if they were just closed. My mother, sister and I wander about the park, deciding to go on the castle ride.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was reviewed as technology at it’s best, but I didn’t read them because I wanted to be surprised. In walking into the castle, I truly felt as if I was a student at Hogwarts. I passed actual props from the movies, and watched the portraits move from one to another and discuss. I took pictures of myself standing in front of the Eagle statue leading up to the Headmaster’s office and depositing my memories into the pensive. Dumbledore stood in his office telling us muggles about how wonderful History of Magic was and how we would enjoy the lecture Professor Binns was going to give us. The next room was Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared to tell us that we really don’t want to go to History of Magic (although Hermione attempted to remind the boys how fascinating it is, and mentions ‘Hogwarts, A History’, which as a diehard fan made me giggle) and we really want to see a Quidditch match. Meet them in the Great Hall, and they’ll take you there. After a walk-through of the Gryffindor common room, we made it.
And then we got on the ride.
It covered most of the trials that Harry went through during his years at Hogwarts. Hermione enchants the seats so that you fly up and zoom around Hogwarts. There’s scenery from all of the major moments in the series. You are chased by a dragon, are attacked by dementors, have to escape the Whomping Willow and thrown into a fierce game of Quidditch. It felt as if I was there. It felt as if I had been sucked into this world that I’ve read, watched, and imagined. It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced.
There were the other two rides-the family friendly Flight of the Hippogriff and the roller coaster Dragon Challenge. Flight was from PoA, where the Care of Magical Creatures class learned about hippogriffs, part eagle, part horse beasts. As you ascend up the first hill, you are greeted by an amazingly realistic Buckbeak, who bows as you pass. No flips, no sudden drops, and I was the oldest person on the ride by a good decade; but for a super fan like me it was fun. The Dragon Challenge features two dueling coasters, channeling GoF, where Harry has to capture the golden egg from a Hungarian Horntail. In this ride, you either get on a Hungarian Horntail or a Chinese Fireball. The two coasters weave in and out of each other, with several near misses. On this one, there were flips and spins and leg room, making it much more age appropriate for me.
The shops were filled with merchandise straight out of the movies and books. I sent my friends Owl Post straight from the Owlery, stamped with a Hogsmeade postmark. I’m typing this out while wearing a pair of Gryffindor flannels, which may be THE MOST COMFORTABLE PANTS IN THE WORLD, from Filtch’s Emporium. I bought home Chocolate Frogs and other candy from Honeydukes. My wonderful mommy bought me a Gryffindor robe (yeah, like actual robes from the movies) and the black hat that goes with it from Dervish and Banges. Olivander’s was tightly packed; one person is picked for the wand choosing. I was rather pissed that I was not picked and this little girl who jumped the line was, but the demonstration was still incredibly cool. An assortment of things happened when it wasn’t the right wand-flowers wilted, boxes fell, bells sounded. I legitimized some of my purchases by saying they were for my dorm–like the pillow with the silk screened Hogwarts panel on one side. All of this stuff is going to school with me, because my school is awesome and is very Harry Potter friendly and we have a Quidditch team and a Yule Ball. Be jealous.
Food and drink wise, I drank Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer, and found I liked Pumpkin Juice more. Butterbeer came two ways-frozen or normal. We had it frozen with dinner when we ate at the Three Broomsticks. Frozen tasted better simply because it was obnoxiously hot, as Florida tends to be in July. Butterbeer is a very sweet concoction with about five pounds of foam at the top. Pumpkin Juice was spicy, more like a cider. It was what Halloween would taste like if you could drink a season. Dinner at the Three Broomsticks was traditional British fare…very smokey and gamey. The turkey leg I had was probably larger than my calf. The Hog’s Head was attached, complete with a hog’s head and shrunken heads (a la PoA film). Honeydukes was amazing. It was bright, colorful, and floor-to-ceiling sugar. There were Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills, Edible Dark Marks, Ton Tounge Toffee, and more. Every wizarding candy I ever dreamed of eating was there. There was a section where one could purchase baked goods, such as Hagrid’s rock cakes, cauldron cakes, and pumpkin pasties. Cauldron cakes became my favorite food from the Wizarding World. It was basically a dark chocolate carved cupcake filled with chocolate mousse with a solid dark chocolate handle and a small white chocolate stick in it as the ladle. SO. GOOD.
As expected, Florida was hot as hell and packed at this time of year. There were a lot of tourists from all over the world, which really made me smile. All of us were in this park for one reason. We all loved The Boy Who Lived. Harry’s stories are stories of love and friendship, and this park was bringing all of us together. Only my mother and my sister may know who I am, but I’m sure we ended up in someone else’s pictures. And I know other people ended up in mine. We were all connected through the experience of being Harry Potter fans and experiencing the thrills of a lifetime.
The moral of the story-if you have a chance to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, DO IT. I would go back in a heartbeat.
pour your empty heart in it but finish what you started 