Tag Archives: Universal Orlando

A Teen Reviews the new Harry Potter World

Grand Opening of Harry Potter WorldReaders of this blog  know I am an exuberant Harry Potter fan.  I’ve attended Midnight Madness parties-in costume-to get my hands on a newly published book in the series.  I had been awaiting the opening of Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter since they announced plans to build. Sadly, I missed the grand event but I plan to visit this fall, when the crowds dwindle.

However, my dear friends, the Granfields, took some Orlando family holidays and made a stop to the theme park, on their way home from a cruise. I spoke with 16-year-old Paige, another avid fan, to hear her remarks about their exciting day.

Paige said, “Everything about it was really cool.  I felt like I was walking through the pages of the books.  Well, the snow on the castle looked a little fake, but everything inside the buildings was authentic, just like the movies.”

Her family rode both of the adult or non-kiddie rides.  Paige claimed, “The Forbidden Journey” made my sister feel a bit dizzy and sick because it jerks around, but my Dad and I loved it.  The projections (appearance)  of the characters Harry, Ron and Hermione within Hogwart’s Castle are 3-D, like they were really there.”

A stop in Ollivander’s, the wand shop, “was a highlight, exactly as JK Rowling first described it in the story.”

A group of about 30 people are admitted into the confines of the shop. One muggle (child) is selected to try out a wand, but fans remember that the wand really chooses its owner.  Paige said, “All sorts of strange things happened when the shop owner suggested wrong wands.”  In the end, the child is united with the “chosen” wizard accessory.

Paige told me that her  group didn’t go to the Three Broomsticks Restaurant because the wait was too long.  Instead, her family and cousins slipped off to some of the other Islands of Adventure within Universal’s theme park.

In reviewing her experiences versus her expectations, Paige said , “The whole place is amazing and definitely worth it.  We had so much fun and of course, I can’t wait to go back.

I know, I’m under a spell, but next time, Paige,  I’m going with you.!!

Midnight Madness Party 2005    Debi & Paige
Debi & Paige at Midnight Madness Party 2005