July 5th, 2012 
Kristin 
Nerd alert: I am a huge fan of Harry Potter. I’ve read every book, cover to cover, and naturally fancy myself a Gryffindor, even though every online Sorting Hat quiz comes back with my best match as Slytherin (what’s up with that? Weird).
When my equally nerdy friend, Brittany, told me that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando was actually pretty well done and accurate, I decided I had to see it for myself. With that, the planning and execution of our Orlando Trip began.
It was highly important to me that we not go in the summer months, when it would be the most crowded, expensive, and hottest (90 degrees and higher with 50%+ humidity… no thanks). Ergo, we selected my favorite shoulder month: September.
On the way in, we passed through a colorful (albiet a little run-down) Dr. Seuss land, and I felt like a 6-year-old again.
A childhood favorite. My inner six-year-old is beaming.
These rides weren’t really made for people our size though, so we moved on. Time was a’wasting.
We rounded the corner and entrance of Hogsmeade greeted us with a friendly reminder:
Don’t be doing your silly magic ’round here.
Real-life Hogsmeade did not disappoint. Despite the frosty roofs being a bit unbelievable in the 80-degree heat, the similarities with the books and movies were pretty spot-on. We stopped by Ollivanders to watch him pick a budding “wizard” from the crowd of tourists.
He didn’t pick me. Whatever.
He performed three tests to select the perfectly matching wand. Oddly enough, every wizard who passes through here does the same three tests, and performs each one the same, ending up with the exact same results… must be magic.
Then we made our way through a very crowded Dervish and Banges where they had wands galore. Resolving that I probably couldn’t get much practical use out of a wand, I marveled at the Monster Book of Monsters instead:
Hogsmeade
Just outside sits the Owl Post where one can mail really dorky Harry Potter postcards to her equally dorky friends at home, saying things like, “Hey, I’m at Harry Potter land, and the only person not with me right now who likes Harry Potter is you… and perhaps you would have liked to be here. Oops, now I’m bragging.”
Other notable stops include Zonkos, a toy shop that would have really appealed to me, were I a 13-year-old boy (think whoopee cushions, extendable ears, and the like). Along with the very best and most tempting of all: Honeydukes. I loaded up on chocolate frogs, pumpkin juice, and rock cakes, somehow managing to pass up the acid pops, Fizzing Whizbees, and exploding bon bons:
The world’s most magical candy
The crown jewel would of course, have to be the awesome Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, which is something like a hybrid between a roller coaster and a people mover. The queue is almost as good as the ride, providing entertainment and familiar rooms and items from the books at every turn:
Talking paintings, house points? Amazing
The ride itself takes the rider past whomping willows, through a Quidditch match, and all through the Hogwarts Castle. It was such an amazing rush, we went on five more times. Seriously, five more times.
One would think we’d figure out how to take a better picture than this with that many opportunities:
Sexy.
Finally, something has to be said about the Three Broomsticks restaurant – it’s dark, boasts high wooden ceilings, is full of long wooden tables, and really takes on the exact feel I got from the book when I pictured how it might look. We loved it so much we came back twice, ordering traditional (or so they attempted) English food, such as shepherd’s pie, along with the holy grail, Butterbeer.
That boar’s head moved and snorted on cue
Though they heavily guard the secret recipe to Butterbeer, a non-alcoholic, patented beverage, my best guess is it’s some combo between cream soda mixed with butterscotch syrup with a butterscotch, marshmallow topping.
MMMMmmmm boy!
Noticing a nice, cool-looking bar with a moving boar’s head, we decided to spend a good amount of our afternoon there, chatting with the bartender (a local med student), and sampling Hog’s Head beer, a brew that can only be had in Hogsmeade.
Overall, I was ecstatic to spend some time in the closest incarnation of the magical Harry Potter world available. All of the detail and thought that went into the construction and theme was spot-on. The only lacking feature, I’d have to say, is the size. There are only three rides in the Harry Potter section, and the Forbidden Journey ride blows the other two so far out of the water, it’s not even a competition. However, the ticket to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter also includes various other “lands” with more rides.
Regardless, I spent most of my day in Hogsmeade, pretending to be a real wizard (or I guess, witch!).
Have you been? Do you live and breathe Harry Potter, too?
*Many of these photos were taken by my partner in crime, the lovely Brittany Keene.
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I'm a former investment banker who quit my job, sold all of my belongings, and bid the life I knew goodbye in favor of searching for off-the-beaten-path adventures in Asia. I'm a SCUBA addict, humble student of Mandarin, passion fruit enthusiast, and above all, an adventurer. I plan nothing, and simply let things fall into place. For more information, visit the 
I confess I’m not really a Harry Potter fan (however, I have read the first book which I found while volunteering at a project in Thailand) but this place looks like loads of fun. I think I would have gotten sidetracked in Honeydukes!
I think you’d enjoy it anyways.
Ava, this looks AMAZING. I think I’d just be on that rollercoaster all day, and then plonk myself down for several rounds of butterbeer.
Also, ignore what those online tests say. I mean, the Sorting Hat almost put Harry in Slytherin too, remember?
Thanks Tom! Yes, that’s pretty much what I did. You bring up such a good point about Harry! I smiled at the reference
I loved it too! Such a must visit for HP fans! So many amazing details in the “land” that just blows you away, and makes you feel like you are actually walking into the books and Hogmede!
Absolutely. I was so glad it was so spot on!
I like HP a lot, but I think the land might be a little too cheesy for me. I did find the cart planted in the brick wall on Platform 9 3/4 in Kings Cross. It was fun for about 5 minutes and I was ready to move on. I guess in the end Orlando is just made for cheesy, so it looks like fun.
I’m afraid theme park and “cheesy” are synonymous! However, worth checking out if you’re in the area and a HP fan.
We were JUST talking about this with some friends in NYC. Our whole family are huge Potter fans, and though theme parks aren’t usually our thing I thin we’d have a blast at this one. Now, to figure out a way to work into our hectic travel schedule before the kiddo gets too old to think it’s cool…
This kiddo’s 26 and I still had a blast
I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan, but LOVED the ride. If the line hadn’t been so long, I would have gone 5 more times too!
You definitely don’t have to be a Potter fan to love that ride! Such a good one!
For people who are potty about Potter! Which, admittedly, includes me. I’ll have to visit some day
It’s ok to be potty about Potter. Our numbers are growing.
I’m so jealous! I too am a major HP fan and cannot wait to someday indulge my nerdiness with a day at WWoHP.
Luckily they’re putting one in at the Universal in Hollywood as well! I can’t wait!
Everyone in my family is a Harry Potter nerd so we loved visiting WWOHP!! My teenage daughter has been on Forbidden Journey something like 15 times over two visits but once was enough for me. All I can say is that your photo looks like a glamour shot compared to mine!
15 times?! Well now I feel out done!
Seriously, where was the hidden camera on that ride? Or did my face just look half comatose the whole time??
I always thought Harry Potter was lame until I watched it, then watched all of them. Then I secretly wished I was part of Hogsworth or however you spell it.
I think I’d like it there and love your face on the dragon breath ride.
I actually did, too. I was finally bored enough one summer to start reading the books, and then I read them all in a row, unable to put them down!
They really got a flattering shot. It’s my favorite.
Right in my backyard! Glad you enjoyed the visit to WWofHP… Can’t wait to return myself…
I, too, can’t wait to return!
You know I have never read Harry Potter or seen any of the movies, I must be the only person in a Western country that can claim this. It looks like so much fun for fans.
I resisted for quite a while. One boring summer I finally started reading and couldn’t stop!
This looks fantastic! I’m now curious as to what a real-life Fizzing Whizbee would taste like…
I didn’t get a chance to sample that one.
I love this article and the pictures are great too! Oh good ole butter beer, how I love thee.
Thanks! I know. It’s so good. We tried pretty hard to coax the recipe out of the bartender, but not even he knew!
Ever since I heard about that there would be a Harry Potter theme park, I told myself I would go there before I die. But I still haven’t been there and I’m excited every time I see a post about it or hear someone sharing about Butterbeer!
I also dream myself to be in Gryffindor, but according to Pottermore, I’m a Hufflepuff. Having mixed emotions about that!
Luckily they’re putting one in at Universal in California as well. You’ll have more chances! Pottermore must have know idea what they’re talking about!
I can’t wait to go to either
but chances are high that I’ll be able to go to the one in Florida earlier 
Thanks for the info!
This was by far my favourite section of any of the theme parks I went to in the US!
What did you think of the butterbeer? (Personally, I wasn’t a fan but that may have been because my taste buds were all over the place after a summer working at a summer camp. >_<; )
I loved the butterbeer, but I’m also a huge fan of butterscotch and I’m pretty sure that’s their main flavor.