Let me start with this: when I heard that there was going to be a HARRY POTTER WORLD opening up in Florida, the only question in my head was when I would be going, not if it was reasonable for a 28 year old to round up her friends and trek to the tip of another country to partake in a magical world, based on books for pre-teens.
In short, I’m a fan.
But not like, a crazy one. I don’t have Harry’s name tattooed on my body.
Yet.
So. There was a lot of people. It was like… visiting the sun on the busiest day of the year. (MORE ON THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT LATER). But really? When I read reviews from people who had gone who said “for the first half of your day at Universal Studios, pretend HARRY POTTER WORLD doesn’t exist”, I scoffed. Because .. hello? That was the whole reason for my trip. But seriously. I should have listened. We waited an hour and a half to enter the HARRY POTTER WORLD section of the park the first day. And we got in, this was the scene:
See all those people? Each one of them is JUST AS EXCITED AS YOU, to be there. Which made it thrilling (finally, I didn’t have to hide my wand excitement) but it was exhausting being around so many people. And a bit scary:
That’s my scared face. And one of my friends who I have decided to protect because the only sweaty face I should be putting up on here is mine. You are welcome, friend. (To fully begin to understand the sweat, please note the boobage sweat of the man in the background. That, unfortunately, was not an uncommon sight. FOR ANYONE).
So HARRY POTTER WORLD has three rides total: a kiddish hippogriff rollercoaster that made me scream, an actually terrifying dragon roller coaster which has two roller coasters going at the same time and makes you feel like you are continually going to ram into the other one on the track and lastly, (and bestly!) the ride that I just call the castle ride. It takes place in here: 
To describe this ride properly would require a few drinks, a sketch pad, and an in-person visit so I can dramatically re-enact it all. So forgive me if this doesn’t make sense. The castle ride is like… an acrobatic, 3-D and also simulated ride that will make you pee your pants. (I think that last sentence should be the official description of the ride, I’m THAT proud of it).
Basically, you wait in this line up and the first part of the castle experience, has you actually going through the castle. You see statues: 
talking paintings (yes! These are actually animated. And the coolest part, is that they not only talk and move around, but they carry on conversations with other paintings across the room. And yes! The fat lady is there too!) ,
Dumbledore’s office, 
and even the sorting hat (who yes, of course talks): 
After the sorting hat (and roughly 4,940 other awesome things that I didn’t explain- including going through the Defense Against the Dark Arts room that has snow falling from the sky), you hop on the actual “ride”. You sit 5 across, shoulder straps come on and then you move towards a screen that makes you feel like you are flying. I’m not really big on simulated rides, but this one actually has you feel like you are flying with Harry. Then suddenly you feel yourself move away from the screen and you fight a 3-D whoomping willow, who has branches that just miss your face when they come crashing down. Then you fly again, this time all through Hogwarts, near the lake- through the arch ways, then you feel yourself move again, and there are huge, 3-D spiders everywhere- that move towards you and actually spit on you. You also experience 3-D dementors and snakes, escapees from Azkaban and see the dark mark appear through a hologram. I’m a rides girl, I grew up riding rides every summer and I have to say, this is by far the best- and scariest ride I’ve ever been in.
We went back the next day just to ride it again, and it was definitely worth it. The second time was less scary so it gave me more of a chance to look around and try to figure out how they exactly work everything to make you actually feel like you are flying. It’s going to be a bit of a wait no matter when you go, but I highly recommend it!
Ollivanders wand shop is pretty magical. You will (again) have to wait in a line, but it’s worth the show. Once you are selected to go inside, you go into this tiny, tiny room where a man appears (apparently Ollivander) who will select someone from the audience to find a new wand for. He will make a big production of asking you which hand you right with, when your birthday is, etc. He has you try out a bunch of wands- each creating a different effect, with things flying out from shelves all over the room. When I was in the room, Ollivander had selected David to get a new wand:
As you can see, David did NOT love the wand he was ‘chosen’ to have: 
Which made me giggle. This kid just had the experience of a lifetime (and judging from his face when stuff was flying all over the place, he believed the wands worked), but when it came right down to it, he didn’t like his wand.
After the David show, you get ushered into another room, where anyone is able to buy a wand. All wands are the same price $30, and you can pick any wand you like, or you can ask a shop associate which is the right wand for you. They will ask you your birthday, you will tell them and then eagerly hand over your cash to get your own wand. I have to admit, mine was not the nicest in the shop- but I didn’t want to ruin the experience and pull a David by picking the wand that was nicest, rather than the one I was suggested to have. One of my friends got a gorgeous wand, so I guess it’s just luck of the draw (or you know, luck of when your birthday is).
And that might be the dorkiest paragraph ever typed on the internet.
Next up was the 3 Broomsticks, for BUTTERBEER: 
Now. A few words on butterbeer. First of all, it tastes like… caramel. Plus rootbeer. In a really, really good way. You can get it frozen or normal. I had both and I liked normal better, but my friends enjoyed frozen better. It’s not as sweet as you think it would be from all the reviews (because yes, they are all wrong and I am right) but the foam? The foam is sweet. Like drinking pure sugar. I adored it.
They have one main butterbeer stand when you first come in, but you can also head into the 3 Broomsticks and get them at the bar. (Don’t wait in the restaurant line for the 3 Broomsticks, go around through the alley on the side of the building and enter the bar at the back. They also serve you know, non-magical, real alcoholic drinks which can be a nice change after a day of magical fun.)
Best Parts of HARRY POTTER WORLD
- Castle ride. Obviously. That might go down as the BEST PART OF MY LIFE.
- The wand show in Ollivanders. Especially if you get to go with a kid named David who hates his wand.
- The prices. I was expecting to be financially assaulted when I was there (because let’s face it, I would have paid my weight in gold to experience a butterbeer) but everything was pretty reasonably priced. A butterbeer was $3, I think they were $7 in a souvenir mug. I bought the greatest gryffindor t-shirt for $30 (to be fair, mine is covered in sequins, normal t-shirts were around the $24 mark). And my meal at 3 Broomsticks (a big salad with shepard’s pie) was under $10.
- The atmosphere. They’ve really done everything humanely possible to make you feel like you are at Hogwarts. Including shop fronts that including moving Gilderoy Lockheart pictures and quidditch sets that jumped all over:
The less that magical things at HARRY POTTER WORLD
- The size of the shops. There are not a lot of shops you can actually go into (most are very awesomely done store fronts with locked doors), so when you do stumble upon a shop you want to go into, it would be cool to go into it and have room to you know… moooove. I’m not sure what the justification of having such small stores was, other than to keep the integrity intact. I get that there is not going to be an Ollivanders Best Buy, massive store, but a wand shop that could hold a few more people would have made me ten times more happy and roughly 44595% less sweaty.
- Speaking of sweat, holy mother- the HEAT. Floridians, I have no freaking clue how you do that. Every. Single. Day. The heat felt like it was smothering me. I almost broke down and bought one of those water bottle fans. But thought I was already screaming “LOOK AT ME! I’M A TOURIST!” while wearing sneakers with my shorts, sporting a horrible tan and clutching my park map like it was my guide to heaven.
- I said it once already but I Honeydukes/joke shop really let me down. I was amped to spend a ridiculous amount of money on gag gifts/jokes for H.A.D. (who enjoys those sorts of things) but the joke shop just didn’t do it for me. Booo Fred and George, Boo.
A few tips:
- GET THE EXPRESS PASS. Seriously, sweet baby J- it was the best part of the whole experience. At the universal gate, pay the extra $70, and you get to express pass any ride on the Island of Adventure side of the park- that includes Harry Potter world. The castle ride does not let you express pass though- but to experience the other two rides (and the whole half of the park), without waiting hours and hours and hours in line is so worth it. SO WORTH IT. (I often feel that repeating things with capitals makes my point. As if you didn’t know that already).
- WEAR YOUR DAMN SNEAKERS. Don’t be cool. Don’t wear flip flops. Don’t wear cute shoes. Wear sneakers. Your feet will save you. SERIOUSLY. STOP TRYING TO LOOK PRETTY. YOU ARE GOING TO SWEAT LIKE A HOG. (this was an example of the internal monologue I had with myself daily).
(Picture taken at Disney World. Because yes, we did that park too! Because we are insane and love to sweat in line with thousands and thousands of strangers. Please note THE SNEAKERS)
- DON’T BRING A BAG. Honestly! The line up for the castle ride is ridiculously long because you have to check your bags into lockers inside the castle. If you don’t have a bag? You can skip that entire line (which will save you at LEAST 50 minutes) and head right to the line up that starts near the greenhouse, at the back of the castle. Head inside the main castle doors and let them know you don’t have a bag and try not to stare at the poor suckers who are sweating to death with bags.
- Go with people who have no shame taking photos in front of the Hogwarts Express with you while hundreds of people watch:
In short, it was a magical trip. Totally worth 4 plane rides and long lines. When you go, please pack me in your suitcase. With your SNEAKERS.
So glad you had so much fun, and I love your pictures! And yes, Florida is HOT! :)
AH that looks AMAZING! I really want to take my b/f there because he LOVES Harry Potter!! I think we will go in the wintertime though ;) I can’t even imagine how sickly hot it must have been!!
I think this might be the greatest post of all time. I am actually embarrassed (only a titch) at how FREAKING EXCITED I am to be reading this. I want to go I WANT TO GO RIGHT NOW OMG. Thank you thank you thank yooooou for sharing all of this! (I now demand a picture of the wand, though.) (I also am going to use this ruler next to me at my desk to try and make a butterbeer appear because that sounds AMAZING. ACCIO BUTTERBEER.)
sounds AMAZING. a friend and i plan on sojourning sometime…sometime when we can take the time and money, but it seriously sounds awesome and i’m glad you had a great time!
Awesome post! I can’t wait to go now!!
Awesome awesome awesome! I never read the books, but love the movies and would love to go there! And don’t worry about looking like a tourist. That’s how most of America dresses ANYWHERE they go (and it’s so freaking embarrassing- I play spot the American when I travel abroad). Besides, everyone is a tourist in places like that. So happy (and envious of) you!
OMG Now I want to go to Florida. Right now. Which is crazy. It’s hot down there. And things will be easier, line-wise, once school starts.
I still want to go. How COOOOL! (In a ridiculously hot kind of way.)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, that’s all my brain can think right now!
So much fun! I want to go eventually. Maybe I’ll wait for hurricane season, or something, when it won’t be as crowded.
J-E-A-L-O-U-S!
I want to go there so baaaaaad! Loved all your pictures! :)
I am jealous in ways life cannot express. I must go. Pronto.
OMG that sounds amazing! That’s it, if I ever get to go to Florida (really? Couldn’t they have built this in, you know, England?) Harry Potter World and Disney World are on my list of must-sees.
It sounds great! And I just got totally excited just from reading your post.
I think you’re the only one who could write a review I trust completely. I feel a kinship with you when you talk about Harry. My mom and I are going in October and trust me, will be just as (if not more — is that possible?) dorky about it as you. Eeeeeek! CANNOT WAIT. I will for sure take my tennies!
Oh my gosh. I want to go so badly.
I am not ashamed to say I am a die-hard fan, and I have to go at least once!
I’m glad you finally were able to cross Harry Potter World off your list! Yay! Also, as a fellow Orlando-ian (?) Orlando-ite (?) I will tell you that within the first 3 years of living in Florida your blood will (as the natives call it) “thin out” and the heat and humidity has LESS of an affect on you.
I’ve lived in FL for 8 years and I can attest that you definitely get used to it. However!! Now that I am 8 months pregnant, and have been pregnant through the whole damn summer … I’m PLEADING with my husband to move us back North where a person can BREATHE! But, I’m glad you survived!
Sounds magical!!! I so want to go there like right now.
ya i’m pretty sure i don’t have to go any more, i just went vicariously through you. and also i don’t think i deserve to go until i’ve read the books (i mean i’ve seen the movies but i know it’s not the same). but yay and glad you had so much fun!!
Like Em.. I’m a Floridian (1 hour from Orlado)… and this is how we do “HOT” here: we move from A/C to A/C – case in point… from your A/C home, to the A/C car, to the A/C office, to the A/C Car, to the A/C shop… and we never ever go to Orlando during the summer – that what the tourist do (aha!).
Glad that we were a good host on your Harry P adventure! Come again.. during the winter (wink!)
Dang you! Now I have to go to get my wand!!!
BTW, what month was your friend’s birthday?? Because THAT is going to be MY birthday month too….
As I was reading this, I had a conversation with my boyfriend about going to HARRY POTTER WORLD, and I just have to share it with you.
Me: I wanna go to HARRY POTTER WORLD!
BF: Where is THAT.
Me: … Florida…
BF: FLORIDA?!
Me: But it’s HARRY POTTER WORLD!
BF: It would probably cost like a bajillion dollars!
Me: Not a BAJILLION!
BF: I bet it would cost like 5 grand…
Me (interrupting): WELL THAT’S NOT A BAJILLION.
I think this is going to take some more convincing.
I’m so glad you wrote this! This is awesome! My niece and I totally want to go to Hogwarts land and wear wizard robes all day (we will have to go in the dead of winter so we don’t die ourselves). Thank you for sharing all the important details, too. Made it so much fun to read. :)
I live two hours away from Orlando. I cannot wait to go to Harry Potter World, but I am waiting until 1) it cools down a little and 2) some of the hype dies down a little.
Thanks for the honest recap!
And oh yeah, it is hot as you know where down here!
Ummm, I need to go there STAT. Seriously? Butterbeer sounds delicious, the rides and atmosphere sound beautiful, except I am totally going in the winter. Me and heat, not good friends to being with.
So glad it was a trip well done!!!
:)
They should pay you for this because now I’m SO PUMPED!!! In December (when sweaty-boobed men aren’t a common sight in Florida), I’m doing my 21 run in Orlando followed by a day of Harry Potter World… (well, the recovery day doesn’t count because I’ll sleep through all of it and wake up ready to be a total Harry Potter geek) like anyone who just aged a year should.
I was getting super excited about the castle ride until I read about the 3-D spiders.
Now I’m just terrified.
BUT I STILL WANT TO GO!!
Even as a non-fan, even with the heat, I must say that does look like so much fun.
I love the review!! And also, thank you for clarifying what the castle ride actually is- I’d heard that that’s how you get to the rollercoaster (which I’m not down with) and I was really sad that I wouldn’t get to go inside the castle… but now I can!! :)
OMG awesome awesome awesome! I love the pictures, the descriptions, and the tips (even though I won’t be going for years, if ever)!
God, how I wish I could go! It all sounds simply amazing!
I ADORE HARRY POTTER BEYOND WORDS!
I AM SO PUMPED NOW. I only thought I was excited about this before now. I now HAVE to go. You are totally right though, its hot as hades down here in the south. you probably chose the worst month to go. I live in south Georgia right close to Florida and its pretty opressive all summer long. August especially. Thanks for the tip about the bags. Thats a need to know thing cause you always take bags to theme parks.
oh, and you couldve bought the fan thing and not looked like a tourist. We natives use them and are unashamed. It’s a 100 plus degrees. who cares how dumb we look?
Awesome pictures! I’m glad you got to go, it sounds great. I live in Louisiana, it’s INSANELY hot down here.
Oh my gosh, now I want to go SO SO bad! :)
That is AWESOME. Loved your review. Squee, butterbeer!
The dragons ride (with the 2 coasters) was active when we were there in 2008 during summer was open back then; and when you were on it, you could KIND of see over the gates into the then-still-being constructed Harry Potter world. It was rad. I don’t know why, but I just assumed there would be more rides within it! The castle alone looks pretty amazing.
(And oh holy hell, I wore a pyjama racerback top to Disney and Universal when we were there because it was so effing hot, and it was the best decision I ever made.)
And now.. TAKE ME BACK THERE.
[...] read this blog post about Harry Potter world and I’m dying to go now! My inlaws are renting a condo for a month [...]
Sounds great! I’m going to Orlando the end of December and I can hardly wait! Thanks for the great tips.
Sounds amazing! My husband, who turns 30 this year, decided that’s where he wants to go to celebrate so, come Halloween, we’ll be at Harry Potter World drinking our weight in butter bear and joying ourselves WAY too much for “adults.” I CAN’T WAIT!!
“non-magical, real alcoholic drinks”
I find alcoholic drinks magical in their ability to make me bear unbearable crowds, so I suspect this would have been the highlight of my day. Then again, I do love me some Harry Potter, so I might be willing to get sweaty in a crowd for all this.
Wow! I almost feel like I was there with you! Thanks for the review and the pictures. Now I really want to go…in the winter. :)
I miss your posts so much, but seeing you come back full force with this one? TOTALLY WORTH IT. I freaking love Harry Potter and I’ll admit, I’m equal parts jealous and giddy (but more jealous than anything, cause darn it, I wanna go.) Ahhhh, anyway, this was just awesome. And pssh, no one’s too old for HP. :]
Okay.
I took me a million years to comment on this because I WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED.
I just need to go there. Now. I need a want and I want to go on the rides and drink butterbeer and buy chocolate frogs. And and and yes.
I just need to go.
Okay, I’m from Austalia so reading this post was like delving into a Harry Potter book for the first time – the excitement, the wonder, the joy! I am sooooOOOOoooo jealous Miss Brandy! It sounds INCREDIBLE. On a scale of one-to-ten, how worthwhile would it be flying from Melbourne to Florida just to go to Wizard World? A 10? I thought so.
Hope all is well with you (thank you for your gorgeous email) x
One word: AMAZING. Okay maybe that wasn’t the whole story. -LY JEALOUS was kind of the other half. In the best possible way :)
hi daniel,pls can i b ur frnd
how abt ron n hearmonie