Welcome to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Prepare yourself. Thousands of muggles have swarmed to this new theme park in the Universal Orlando Resort in the blistering, sticky heat of Florida. Despite the long lines and overpriced merchandise, the park captures your imagination and pulls you into the magical adventure of Harry Potter.
Your journey begins as you pass the Hogwarts Express and through the winding snowy streets of Hogsmeade. Be sure to grab a refreshing drink of the sweet and frothy Butterbeer and wander through the familiar shops of the wizarding world.
If you have time for the wait, visit Ollivander’s Wand Shop. Once inside, you will find yourself in a perfect replication of the dusty old shop, which is stacked full with wands from the floor to the ceiling. Ollivander will fit you with a wand in an exciting spectacle of magic where the wand chooses the wizard.
Also, explore the candy shop, Honeydukes, and taste some of their homemade sweets ranging from chocolate frogs to Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Next door at Zonko’s joke shop, browse through an array of strange magical toys and little, pink Pygmy Puffs. In addition, stroll through Dervish and Banges to see their vast variety of wizard products including broomsticks, class robes, Remembralls, and the Quibbler, complete with Spectrespecs.
The park also features a few landmark restaurants from the Harry Potter series. Enjoy Shepard’s Pie and Cornish pasties with pumpkin juice in the Three Broomsticks or a variety of alcoholic drinks in the Hog’s Head. No detail is overlooked in the park; even Moaning Myrtle can be heard in the restrooms.
Next, for those thrill seekers, take a ride on the Dragon Challenge, inspired by the Triwizard Tournament. Climb aboard either the Chinese Fireball or Hungarian Horntail and fly into the sky in a ferocious duel between the two dragons. On the other hand, for those younger muggles, hop on the Flight of the Hippogriff and soar over Hagrid’s Hut and the Forbidden Forest.
Finally, make your way up to the towering Hogwarts Castle for the brand new indoor ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Do not worry about the enormous line because the queue weaves through the familiar classrooms and magical corridors of Hogwarts. So, ignore the professors (employees) who are trying to keep the line moving and take your time to soak up the fine details of the instruments, including the pensive, in Dumbledore’s office and the moving paintings in the portrait gallery. In addition, tour the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and the Gryffindor common room.
The Sorting Hat then explains the safety procedures of the ride while you are hustled into the Great Hall, which serves as the loading station for the ride and features the magic floating candle ceiling.
Then the groundbreaking new ride takes you with Harry Potter and his friends on an unforgettable journey through some of the greatest events of the series. You start off flying with Harry and Hermione on broomsticks over the castle grounds, barely dodging towers and walls. You chase after the snitch in a Quidditch game only to be attacked by dementors over the field and nearly have your soul sucked out by their deadly kiss. After that close encounter, you continue dodging Harry Potter’s foes after escaping the whomping willow and barely making it out of Aragog’s spider nest.
The ride, secretly operated by a robotic arm on a track, immerses you in the action by simulating drops and turns. As a result, the Forbidden Journey is an unreal experience where you are truly pulled into the magical journey of Harry Potter.
In the end, the park provides muggles with a one-of-a-kind experience in the wizarding world that will surely leave you stupefied in wonder.
