Last year, Doug came to Orlando for the very first time and we took him for his first visit to Walt Disney World. It only seemed fitting on his return that we would take him to the dark side for his first visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.
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Now this report is going to be a little less detailed than my usual ones because I was focused on filming the video while we were there.
Two weeks ahead of our visit, I started pestering Doug about what his Hogwarts House was. He couldn’t remember and had to take the quiz over on Pottermore. Jay and I had a feeling about what house he would be, and we were right: another fine member for Ravenclaw!
We had already ordered a set of all four ties off Amazon for less than the price of one tie in the park. I already had my Gryffindor tie, but Jay somehow didn’t have a Slytherin tie so it all worked out beautifully. I didn’t tell Doug exactly what I was up to, but I gave him instructions about what type of clothing to bring.
When he arrived at our house, there was a Hogwarts letter sitting on his pillow, complete with list of supplies. We watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone that night, and the next morning, off we went.
We started on the Universal Studios side where we hit Diagon Alley, the Olivander’s Wand Choosing, Gringotts, the Leaky Cauldron, and Knockturn Alley. Doug even got picked for the wand choosing! We then took the Hogwarts Express over to Islands of Adventure because you have to buy your school supplies before you can go to school. We then headed into Hogsmeade and ran around casting spells. Then we made our way to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, one of my favorite rides ever built. We then made the loop that is Islands of Adventure and rode Forbidden Journey one more time before hitting Flight of the Hippogriff. Our last stop was in the Hog’s Head for a Butterbeer before we took the Hogwarts Express back to Universal Studios.
You want to ride it twice because it’s different going both directions. You travel from London to Scotland, and then back from Scotland to London.
We went back to Diagon Alley for some last-minute photos before calling it a day. Sadly, we were there on a day when they weren’t doing the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle.
We picked the perfect day to go to Universal because everything was practically a walk-on. Outside of the Wizarding World, we managed to also fit in Men in Black, the Mummy, Jurassic Park, the Hulk, and Spider-Man.
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Taking a Harry Potter fan to the Wizarding World for the first time is an amazing experience, for you and them. Watching their reactions is almost more fun than the rides themselves.
I’m currently working on land spotlights rather than attraction spotlights that you guys can look forward to about the details of both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. If you want to plan your own Wizarding World adventure, you can head over to the Library where subscribers can access a free printable Hogwarts Letter and shopping list.
Cost: A one day Park to Park Ticket to Universal Orlando is $181.05 after tax. That was what we did here. If you’re a Florida resident who plans on visiting Universal a few times in one year, I recommend an annual pass.
Duration: All day.
Value: 10/10.
Add Ons: Universal’s Express Pass lets you skip the lines. It ranges in price, but on a busy day could be worth it.
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