Harry Potter World Overview
Last week, I had a travel day to get from SFO to Orlando. Initially, I was a responsible adult who respected my body’s needs for sleep and rest by booking a mid-day flight. Then I thought, why?!? So instead, I booked a red-eye so I could land first thing on Wednesday and spend the day at Harry Potter World. This was an excellent decision.
I bought the 1-Day “Park-to-Park” ticket that gives access to Diagon Alley (Universal Studios Florida) and Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure), connected by the Hogwarts Express. This cost a very high Muggle price, so I didn’t even look into an express pass add-on. As a result, my day was spent in a lot of lines- and this was mid-week! Alas. But honestly, it bordered on non-fun by the end of the day and I couldn’t imagine hanging out in even longer queues. I mean, I can but it sounds terrible.
Starting the day
I started at Islands of Adventure, because I heard the lines for the roller coaster Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure were the longest. Hotel guests can access the part at 8 a.m. while the rest of us can enter at 9 a.m. I went through the ticket check and stashed my bags in a locker around 8:45 and walked towards the lagoon, but a person can’t go any farther until 9.
When we were let in, there weren’t a lot of runners and honestly, it didn’t seem like that many people. But when I got to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, there was already quite a line. I was in line for about an hour. The roller coaster ride was pretty cool. *Spoiler incoming* I definitely felt the roller coaster thrill during the backwards part and an unexpected drop. I see why it’s the main ride attraction.
Hogsmeade
My internal clock was a little off so after the roller coaster, I bought an early lunch. I got the fish and chips at The Three Broomsticks, which were pretty decent! I debated sitting inside, but it smelled a little bit off (authentic?), so I ate outside in the sun, which was delightful. The deck is next to the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, which looked amazing. I decided that after I wandered Hogsmeade, I would take a detour to Dino World.
Hogsmeade is very cute. The detail in the shop windows are very impressive. Some are “closed” and part of the set, while others are gift or food shops that I went into. I was on the lookout for gifts, but didn’t find anything that really caught my eye. The prices are quite high, and I couldn’t believe that adult sized wizard robes cost $140!!!! Clearly, I am not a HP super-fan.
The product that I think should be examined as a perfect business case study are the wands. OMG. They are $55-$65 and allow a person to “cast a spell” at designated spots. It’s powered (sorry for the non-magic) by infrared cameras hidden within display windows/target. The cameras track the motion of the wand’s reflective tip to determine if the correct spell movement (a triangle or swirl) is performed.
Now, I would think that this is the perfect way for kids to fall in love with an expensive souvenir that their parents have to buy if they love their child at all. Otherwise, the child will cry and feel like Harry Potter at the Dursleys. And this is true. But what absolutely floored me is the number of grown-assed adults, without a kid in sight, who were into this activity. It’s breath-taking. Fortunately, it seemed that these adults were pleasant nerds (Hufflepuffs, I’m sure) and they weren’t elbowing kids out of the way. But still, Harry Potter marketing, bravo! Way to make money hand over fist. I need to figure out some sort of business LLC in my life and replicate this success.
Hogwarts
After a walk through Hogsmeade, I made my way to Hogwarts. I bought a cold Butterbeer along the way, thinking it was the best option among cold, hot, and frozen. It is achingly sweet and really tasty. I walked into the castle for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. The singles line was open so I was at the loading area within 5 minutes. I had to throw away my drink, which I had about half of and honestly, that was plenty. This ride was a lot of fun and I really liked the swoops and turns on the ride. It’s not a VR or 3D ride, but the surround screens make it an immersive experience.
Jurassic World Interlude
I rode the VelociCoaster twice. It is an exceptional roller coaster. Prior to this, I think my best Florida roller coaster experience was last year with Beth on the Tron Lightcycle roller coaster in Epcot. But time-wise, that coaster is so short! The VelociCoaster felt twice as long in the best way possible! It’s the fastest and tallest launch roller coaster in Florida, and the twists, turns, and loops are amazing. I looked up some stats and the ride is 80 seconds long with key elements of four inversions, a 155-foot tall “top hat” with an 80-degree drop, and two high-speed launches. The second launch gets the rider to 70 mph in just 2.4 seconds. I would recommend keeping your head back, but not plastered against the head rest. I did that the first ride and there was a lot of vibration/head rattling. I avoided a headache, but it was getting intense for a minute!
Hogwarts Express
The Hogwarts Express was a train ride to connect the parks that has screens in the windows that bring the journey described in the book to life. It’s cute, but I’m glad there was no significant wait. There is a huge area of chained off aisles for much longer queues, but they weren’t in use the day I visited. Honestly, I do not think the “ride” is worth it if you can’t just walk on. My understanding is that you can just walk to the other park as an alternative to the train.
But since it was a quieter day at the park, I was excited to make the round trip from Hogwarts –> London –> Hogwarts.
Diagon Alley
After being dropped off in London, I made my way through the magic break in the wall into Diagon Alley. The detail and cuteness of the shops were pretty spectacular. I have never seen the movies, but I imagine it’s basically like the movie set. As I dodged the adult weirdos casting spells at the shop windows while unloved children without wands cried, I enjoyed looking at the shops and wandering in the stores. I didn’t stay long in the stores, but they’re worth briefly checking out.
I went on the Escape from Gringotts ride, a 3D immersive ride that is roller coaster-lite. The singles line was open, which was nice. After the ride, I went out into Daigon Alley and happened to catch the dragon breathing fire, which I think happens q15 minutes.
Back in Hogsmeade
I took the Hogwarts Express back to Hogsmeade. There is a mirror effect that allows you to see the people ahead of you “disappear” into platform 9 3/4. If you were with a group, one person could hang back and take a video since the effect is just around the corner from a good photo vantage spot. But this would likely only appeal to superfans who buy wands and fancy robes.
I had to participate in a Zoom call, so I went to the front of the park where it was quieter and in a spot where roller coaster screams were faint. After the Zoom, I wrestled with whether I wanted to go on Hagrid’s roller coaster again. I didn’t want to deal with the line, but I also didn’t have anything better to do. My AirBnB that I was going to was pretty basic and I knew I would never be back. So, these two factors led to me deciding to stay.
Eh, I’m not sure it was totally worth it because the line was 2 hours long. But again, I didn’t really have anywhere else to be. I downloaded the first Harry Potter book to my phone for a re-read and nearly got through the whole thing by the time I got to the front of the ride.
After the ride, the park was closed so I made my way to the exit, grabbed some dinner at Bubba Gump’s (meh), and headed to my AirBnB. I wasn’t destroyed, but I was pretty tired. I did get a great night’s sleep and had a good conference experience the next three days. Overall, I’m definitely glad I went and recommend it as a nostalgic theme park day. But definitely throw in a VelociCoaster break if you go!