The Clarks!!!: Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the rest of Universal Studios

I just let you know now, that I'm a big Harry Potter fan, so I'm going to sound really nerdy and tell you a whole lot about our Harry Potter experience! So if you want you can just scroll down and look at the pictures. First thing, Dustin & I loved it, we felt like kids in Disney World but better, we were on a high all day.

Through Primary I have a met a good friend, Brie, whose husband works for Universal Studios and she was able to get me in for free (Dustin already gets in free for working for SeaWorld, but I haven't let him go without me so he's been waiting.) She came with us the first little bit, and watch Thomas for us so we could go on the rides and stuff, she's awesome!

So yesterday we headed to Universal Studios, and of course the first stop was Harry Potter World! And it was awesome! I really felt like I stepped into the movies/books. I was amazed at all the details they put into all the shops, every time we went back to the park we would pick new things we didn't see before. They had floating brooms in the stores, floating wand in the window, the Monster book from the third book in it's cage trying to attack you, in the book store, Gildory Lockhart books with his pictures moving, mandrake plants with their high pitch screaming, the quidditch balls shaking in the box with the snitch flying all over. They had the owlery with the owls and you can really mail things there. They also had chocolate frogs with the character cards, the chocolate frog that was on display was moving. They had some other cool stuff like the actual dress that Hermione wore in the 4th book in a window and there was a measuring tape that was measuring the clothes "magically". Than when you go to the bathroom you hear moaning Myrtle talking, they really put a lot of thought in everything, I love it! O, they also had wanted signs of Sirius Black that were also moving on the walls.

Than going through Hogwarts was AWESOME! I didn't take any pictures of that, because it was dark in there, and also in the end there is a ride, that was also pretty darn good. So when you walk through Hogwarts you see the entrance of Dumbledore's office, the containers they have that has the house points, They had tons of paintings that would move and talk to you. They also had holographic (I think that's what it's called?!?) of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they were talking to the audience and they hid other the invisibility cloak, it looked really good, they almost looked real. Than the ride was awesome and made me jump a few times, it was really cool, they had it so you felt like you were playing in a quidditch match, they had Dementors, the spiders, a dragon, and you go the the Slytherin tunnel where the snake is and some other stuff from the movies.

Than there were the stores, Ollivander's Wands was the best of course, and they had a lot of wands there and they not only have the character wands but they have these wands where they go by the Celtic Calendar, so you can get one according to your birthday, I guess that's how JK Rowling has it set up, so something about the wood it's made of goes according to the calendar? I'm not sure, and each wood has certain powers, but when I went into that store I came with the thought: "If I get a wand, I want Hermione's" because I have always liked the design of it since I first saw it in the movies, but than when they guy showed me the wand that went with my birthday I was like: "that's my wand!" I know that sounds dumb, but it's interesting because all the wands are made differently so some feel better than others. Mine, has a slight bend to it, so it's somewhat crocked. Anyway, I've debated between wands for a while, because all of them are that cool, I'm telling you now if you go there you will not leave that store without a wand, Dustin tried... when I got my wand, I asked Dustin if he was going to get one and he was like "Noooo, it's ok, it's not such a big deal to me like you," but I could tell he wanted one, I kept asking him, the whole time we were there because he kept bringing up about it. Then we went home around 4 because we were tired and hungry, and he was like, "Hey did you want to go back (because we hadn't even seen half of the park outside of Harry Potter World) and see the other parts of the park?" and of course I said yes! Than we arrived there, he was like "Man, I really want a wand" and the next thing we know we were back in the store having him try out all the wands, so we didn't even go check out the other part of the park, ha ha which I was ok about because I was enjoying Harry Potter world way too much. After about 20 minutes Dustin decided on Ron's wand, and that one is pretty cool.

Than there is Zoko's and Honey Dukes and those were pretty cool, they had the extended ears, and sneakoscopes, and any other object you could think of from the books. Than Honey Dukes they had Every Flavor Bott's Beans, and the Chocolate frogs, Blood flavor sucker (they were really strawberry) and all random types of candy. They also had The Three Broomsticks restaurant that we didn't go to but we hear the food is pretty good.

Also on the streets sometimes they would have performers, we saw the school choir with the singing toads from the third movie, and they also had students from the two other schools from the 4th book come and perform, it was really neat.

Than there is Butterbeer..... let's just say I'm in love. They have butterbeer stations all over, and everyone has butterbeer in their hands, it's kinda funny actually. There was pumpkin juice, but we didn't try that because we were hooked on the Butterbeer, there is the foamy cream stuff that they put on it that is amazing! But the drink is very rich, we got two during the whole day and shared it and it was almost too much for me. But I guess they serve it warm, cold, or frozen, we got it frozen both times because everyone says that's the best. And just incase your wondering, there isn't any actual beer in it.

We did spend majority of the time in Harry Potter but we did go see the Dr Suess section, which was really cute, and there was a ride that we took Thomas in, he liked it until he got a little wet, but other than that he had fun. And we passed through the Jurassic Park section. Than we went to the Marvel section, which Dustin loved. We went on some fun roller-coasters there like the Incredible Hulk, and Doctor Doom's, and they had some super heros driving around on four-wheelers so we meet some of the characters.

So it was a way fun, crazy day. Dustin & I had a Harry Potter high when we got home so when we put Thomas to bed we got our wands and watch some Harry Potter, I know, very nerdy, but we couldn't help it, and we notice we weren't the only ones who were nerdy at the park. It was really fun to see some of the kids who were there, especially when they were trying out wands, and we so two little boys "dueling" with each other.

So if you are ever in Orlando I would HIGHLY recommend Harry Potter World, especially if you like the books because it is pretty amazing and almost feels magical.

Hogwarts express!!! When I was in London I went to Kings Cross Station and went to Platform and 9 3/4 so I feel pretty special.

Honey Dukes, I love the colors in the store, and there was loads of candy there, I wanted to get a chocolate frog but they were $10, maybe next time, I forgot to get a picture of them, they were pretty big.

Hogwarts Express again, it was hard to get a picture with it because there was always a line.

Ummmm..... Butterbeer, we even had Thomas tried it, he like it, he just had to get used to it.

Hogwarts castle, I thought it looked awesome, I told Dustin it beat Cinderella"s castle in Disney World.

Hogsmeade... this will be the only snow I will see in Florida.

Ollivander's store, that was the guy that helped me find my wand, and than here is a VERY nerdy picture of Dustin and I with our wands, see how mine is slightly bent? So cool.