I know I have been doing lots of Disney posts but I didn't feel like this would fit in there so I decided to pop it up during Blogtober!
During our trip to Florida we knew that we had to back to Universal. We aren't the biggest fans of rollercoasters, we can manage the baby ones but not the likes of the Hulk. This meant that the main reason for our trip to Universal was mostly because I had to walk through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and soak in all of the Harry Potter magic.
From the moment you walk through the brick wall onto Diagon Alley, it literally feels like you have stepped into JK Rowling's imagination. You could be in the movie, they really have created a world full of magical and mystery. Straight ahead you can see Gringotts back with the dragon perched on top.
I knew that the dragon didn't always breathe fire so that we would be lucky if we had a chance to see it. Well, what can I say, the universe didn't want me to miss it as the dragon shot out it's fire breathe multiple times I was there. I cannot explain the heat that comes from it despite it being very high up on top of the building. The effect is spectacular and one I was so glad not to miss.
The first thing we did was take a pit stop into The Leaky Cauldron to grab some lunch. We all went for the fish and chips - how very British of us - and some Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice. The drink was the most exciting part of the whole experience the glass was decorated with a sticky cinnamon sugar around the rim and dripping down the sides. Very impractical for drinking out of I have to say but added to the whole day.
I have to say that I was so impressed with the Leaky Cauldron. It looked to me exactly like it did in the movie and no attention to detail was missed. The giant cauldron at the front of the restaurant just added to the overall effect - I didn't get a good picture of it though as it was quite dark. There was so much to see and take in around me I really could have sat there for hours on end.
I was very impressed with the attention to detail that has been put into every part of the Harry Potter World. Even something as simple as a water feature to cool guests down in the heat became a magical umbrella. We were all mesmerised by this feature as we never quite knew when the water was going to start pouring down.
I think it's quite important to remember that the Harry Potter worlds are split into two separate parks. Dragon Alley, Grimmauld Place and the Knight Bus are all within the Universal Park. Whereas, Hogsmeade - including Hogwarts Castle - are within the Islands Of Adventure Park. I would recommend getting a park hopper ticket so that you don't miss out on any part of the experience.
Another thing about Universal that is different is you don't have any express passes for rides included in your tickets. These are bought separately at around $99 per day per ticket. They also have a virtual line feature but I didn't look into this too much as it didn't actually make all that much sense to me.
Back to what we got up to, my mum and I decided that we were going to go on Escape to Gringotts. My dad didn't feel like he would be up to it so he held all of our stuff, including my phone. Thinking back on it, I am still not sure if I should have taken my phone in with me as it is a very jolting ride that throws you about from side to side quite a lot so I think I would have spent the whole experience too terrified that I would have lost it and not enjoyed it as much as I did. On the other hand I am quite sad that I didn't get some pictures of inside Gringotts as it was gorgeous. It just looked beautiful and the goblins actually looked so real to me I wasn't entirely convinced they weren't - I was in a magical land after all!
With regards to the ride itself it is a 3D indoor rollercoaster and it is fantastic. I did have a slight moment of fear when I got into the cart and the seat was so deep that my feet didn't touch the ground. My mum and I turned to each other and were like what have we done but we had no choice but to stick it out and go with it. Well aren't we glad we did. The premise of the ride is that you are breaking out from the vaults of the bank with the help from Harry and a host of other wizards as Voldemort has broken through the defences and is after you. It's a fast and thrilling ride. I am not usually into thriller type rides but I have to say it truly was amazing. I loved every second of it.
Unfortunately due to the heat and length of the queues we didn't do anymore rides other than boarding the train to Hogsmeade and back to Kings Cross Station again. I do regret not doing more things but I knew that my body couldn't take it as the heat was too much for me and I genuinely thought I was going to pass out at any moment - I am not built for 39degree humid heat!
As I have just mentioned we did do the Hogwarts Express both directions which is something I can recommend as you see something different each way. You board the train to Hogsmeade at King's Cross station and will have to present your park ticket as you are about to head to Islands of Adventure. Walking through their replica of King's Cross Station was very surreal as it was hard to think that you weren't in a real train station.
You also get to walk through Platform 9 and 3/4's and you can see those in front of you disappear right in front of your eyes - as if you were really going through the wall. You are then sorted into carriages dependent on the size of your party and once the train is ready to depart off you head on a magical adventure to Hogsmeade.
I think I will leave this first magical instalment here and pick up next time with Hogsmeade and what it was like over on that side of the Harry Potter universe. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me and I will try my best to answer them for you!
Have you been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
What did you think?
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