I traveled to Orlando in February for work and I absolutely took advantage of being down there to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time. And my goodness, friends, it will not be the last.
As a teenager, I remember thinking that I wasn't quite sure I bought into the idea of an afterlife, but if there was a heaven, it would for me be the ability to pass in and out of the innumerable fictional worlds that I loved. I still feel like this would be a pretty boss way to spend the life eternal, however unlikely it is.
But, at least I will die someday having spent time in Diagon Alley. Everything I read before our trip stressed that the meticulous and loving attention to detail in the parks is what makes them so special, and I couldn't agree more. I wandered and wondered, making time to see (almost) everything. Rowling's world as imagined in the films is so faithfully recreated I just sat down at one point, nursing an ice cream cone from Florean Fortescue's and soaking it in. Every shop front was spectacularly eccentric, and once inside, most shops took advantage of high ceilings to extend the world building above patrons' heads. I was liberal in my abuse of Instagram's Boomerang feature, capturing parts of the rotations of various animatronics throughout the park.
I patiently waited my turn behind children to cast spells with the ivy wand that chose me - YEAH THAT HAPPENED - my favorite being the slightly sinister chuckles granted by the spells particular to Knockturn Alley.
I rode Escape from Gringott's and The Forbidden Journey several times each, and the theming while we waited in line was just as delightful and immersive as the rides themselves. I love a good roller coaster, and dark rides are especially lovely for suspending disbelief. By the time I got over to Hogsmeade I was alone, so I didn't even get to see most of the cool stuff in Hogwarts Castle - good thing I'm going back next year.
I'm not even sure that I can choose a favorite thing to see or do, but I will say that the wand choosing ceremony is a must - I only got to participate because it was just us when we went there right as the park opened, and I went again later to watch another, more appropriately aged individual brought up. My wand was also the only thing that I bought myself, and worth every penny galleon. Wandering the parks casting spells - and finding the secret ones! - is an unparalleled treat. Ollivander's is honestly probably the most magical shop, though Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is a very close second. I also loved the puppet show in Diagon Alley, and the ride on the Hogwarts Express was incredibly charming - and surprisingly intimate.
Have you been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios? What did you love?