Not surprisingly, Harry Potter World was my favorite of the entire weekend! Diagon Alley boasted the vibrant Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and a candy shop with chocolate frogs and every flavor jelly beans. Then there was endless boxes of wands at Ollivander’s and butter beer at the Leaky Cauldron. A sudden turn into Knockturn Alley quickly led to dark alleys and creepy displays. And the fire breathing dragon atop Gringott’s was mystical. I enjoyed watching children wield wands, chanting spells that created magic. I also loved the attention to detail. Inside Grigott’s, the animatronic goblins wrote on scrolls and scanned the crowd of visitors, newspapers and portraits moved, and the ride was so realistic.
We then hopped aboard the Hogwarts Express at platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station. Before we knew it we were in Hogsmeade. We checked out the Three Broomsticks before heading into Hogwarts for a flight on our broomsticks.
Although we came to Universal Studios specifically for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we also walked around the rest of the park. Jurassic Park and King Kong looked like a true jungle, and Seuss Landing was incredibly whimsical and playful.
Our long weekend in Orlando was packed full of magical adventures with a different park each day. It was a total blast and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to wander around with childlike glee, admiring the creative magic of Harry Potter.