My son was kind of late learning to read. He was great at baseball and caring for others but when it came to reading, he was just having a really hard time. One day, we attended a local event at the library, where he was introduced to Harry Potter. As big as the books were, they were very intimidating. He wanted to read them but just wasn't at that point. A couple months later, we attended an event where they created a few Harry Potter crafts including a quidditch broom. He absolutely loved it and became determined to read the books. Slowly but surely, he began reading and loving them.
You can imagine his excitement when we finally told him we had officially booked a trip to Universal Studios Orlando. He was over the moon excited to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We read about it, watched several videos online and caught up on all the Harry Potter movies. We were ready!
However, nothing can prepare you for the magic you feel when you walk into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando. It's as if the magic is real. When you first walk into Diagon Alley, you feel as if you've been transported to another world. You can't see any other part of Universal so you truly feel as if you ARE in another world. It's truly amazing!
You can visit the goblins or exchange your muggle money for Gringott bank notes at Gringotts Money Exchange. Or check out Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley - yes, it's as creepy as it is in the books/movies. You can find your next cuddly pet at the Magical Menagerie. They have every plush pet you could imagine and is a super fun store to visit with kids! After all, every kid needs their own personal pet! You can find Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs at Sugarplum's Sweetshop or purchase a Pygmy Puff from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes where they turn your purchase into an exciting adoption ceremony! This was one of my daughter's favorite parts of our day! And, of course, a visit to Ollivanders to select a wand is a must. This was one of our family's most favorite shops. Hudson picked out a Harry Potter wand and Reese picked out a Hermione wand. Both of the wands were "interactive", which means as we walked around The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they were able to use their wands to complete magical tasks such as making it rain, opening the chocolate frog box, turn on the lanterns, etc. It's something extra special around the park to enhance your experience and make it extra special. And it doesn't matter if there are other kids also using their wands to do magic...it's all about making your kids feel as if they're creating the magic themselves. It took a little bit of trial and error for our kids to figure it out, but once they got it, they loved it!! It was so helpful to have some Universal employees around to help the kids figure out how to use their wands properly. They were so patient and helpful with the kids! We could see our kids' eyes light up every time they created magic! You can also walk through Ollivanders for a tour, and the wand keeper will select one kid from the group to have a wand "choose" them. It was really fun and magical to see (our kids were amazed at the "real" magic), but they typically reserve this experience for older kids (starting at around age 11). Also, don't forget to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies! This was another favorite! Hudson found himself a real Gryffindor jersey, which we, of course, couldn't pass up!
The rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter are also incomparable to any rides you've ever ridden before. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are both a type of indoor, 4D roller coaster with multi-dimensional aspects creating the ultimate thrill ride with large screens/holograms within the ride. They were both absolutely unlike anything I've ever ridden before and were my personal favorite and my 8-year-old son's favorite rides. If you could only ride two rides at Universal, I'd tell you to ride these! (Fortunately, you don't have to choose just two!)
You can also ride the Hogwart's Express, which is family-friendly meaning the entire family can ride together - yes, even babies!, over to Universal's Islands of Adventure to visit Hogwart's and the village of Hogsmeade. It connects both parks, and the ride is different going both ways so be sure to ride a round trip at least once!
Eating at Three Broomsticks or the Leaky Cauldron just makes your experience even more magical. It's as if you're in the story eating with Harry Potter himself! My kids kept expecting Hermione or Ron to show up and come sit at our table. We actually ate at both restaurants during our visit and both are equally tasty and fun! The decor and ambiance in the restaurants are identical to the movies making your experience even more special. Visit Three Broomsticks where the rustic inn serves British food such as Shepherd's Pie, Cornish Pasties, and Turkey Legs. Be sure to look for the shadows of the house elves hard at work around the restaurants. Leaky Cauldron has gorgeous, high cathedral ceilings similar to the movie, and also serves the typical British fare. The Three Broomsticks breakfast and lunch are absolutely delicious; however, the Bangers and Mash at the Leaky Cauldron was my absolute favorite meal of our entire trip. It was so good! Seriously...I was talking about that meal for days! They also serve Butterbeer at both restaurants but we opted to try it at Three Broomsticks like Harry Potter. It's so creamy and delicious...you haven't tasted anything like it! I highly recommend purchasing it in the souvenir cup because it makes it more authentic, and it gives you an extra souvenir to take home.
When you walk through the streets of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, be sure you look at every store window and visit every shop or you miss out on part of the magical experience. Universal Studios Orlando has made this a special experience by including even the littlest details. Everything takes you back to the books/movies and makes your entire experience magical.
Disclosure: I received complimentary park tickets for myself and my family to facilitate this review. No additional compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
