The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

A lot has happened this summer so far that I haven’t been able to share with you mystical readers! As promised I have been super active and adventurous (at least before I got sick). One magical event has been my trip with mom to Universal Studios‘ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! You might already know that I’m a super fan of Harry Potter and all associated things. Being able to go there has been on my bucket list since they opened it back in 2010. Since then it has been a burning desire to walk the halls of Hogwarts and the streets of Hogsmead.

Mom surprised me with last minute plans to buy the plane and park tickets in June. According to her, they were my belated birthday gift because we had originally planned to go for my 21st birthday but we never followed through. Let me tell you it was worth the wait. The entire experience was 110% magical!

First thing I did when I arrived to this portion of the theme park was to pose with the Hogwarts Express. Standing in front of the train made me feel like I was transported into the book itself. It was a shame we did not have the multi-park access because otherwise I would have been able to ride the train to Diagon Alley. I’ll have to do that next time I go!

After that, I immediately honed in on the Butter Beer cart. They served it out of a wooden beer crate, nice and cold. When I tasted it I was reminded of cream soda. It had a nice thick layer of marshmallow fluff on top just like the foam on a real beer. Once the last drop was on its journey to my stomach, I hesitated with throwing out the cup but I then remembered how I’ve been trying to declutter my life, so I made the executive choice to not keep it.

We then made the line for Ollivanders Wand Shop, and we got excited when we heard it was not just a store but a show as well! When we entered the room it was dark at first but you could still make out the floor to ceiling shelves filled with wand boxes. Then the magic happened; a man came down a set of stairs and he chose a lucky young wizard from the crowd. He then recreated the scene from the first movie where "the wand chooses the wizard". That kid definitely got the experience of a lifetime.

Naturally, I was tempted to buy everything in the store but Mom did not take her eyes off me. From there we went straight to the castle. Hogwarts stood on a mountain side just like in my imagination when I read the books. The long line flew by thanks to the adrenaline in my veins. The inner child in me could no be contained. When we finally reached the entrance into Hogwarts, I could feel the giddiness boil over, spilling into the air around me. Even Mom was excited! I found it completely genius to have the line go through the school, having interactive moments in between rooms. This made the line for the ride feel more like a tour than an endless wait.

I had two favorite sections. The first one was down the very first hallway. Before you make your first turn inside, you reach the unmistakable entrance to Dumbledore's office. The fact that it was life size and completely realistic had me tempted enough to consider slipping under the bar and step into the wings of the griffin hoping it would start to turn and rise into the office just like in the movies.

Eventually we traveled through Dumbledore's office, the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, a hall way with moving and talking paintings, and eventually we reached the sorting hat. As it spoke, I realized we reached the end of the line and the ride was just a few steps away. It was on a conveyor belt, never stopping as people hopped off with a stumble from the momentum, and the next set hopping on to take their place. We quickly jumped in and pulled down the lock brace, holding on as we spoke the magic spell and took off.

We flew; soaring over the castle grounds, we ducked and weaved around towers and bridges. We were chased by a fire breathing dragon and narrowly escaped only to be thrown right into the middle of a quidditch match. Forced to dodge bludgers and dementors as the game played around us, it truly felt like we were flying. The ride was over way too quickly, and it was only logical to go through the whole experience again.

This trip will be one I will remember for as long as I live. Thank you Mom, for helping my dreams come alive. A huge part of my childhood became a reality and this fiction is no longer trapped in the pages of a book, but have become streets millions of fans like me can walk through. This is what real magic feels like, when a book becomes part of your world. Maybe one day, the books I write will become reality just like this!