Twelfth Day – in Florida, USA -- “Platform 9 and 3/4… there’s no such thing, is there?”

If you believe the above statement is true, then you are sadly mistaken.

Welcome to Hogwarts:

 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a part of Universal Studios Orlando, and just like Disneyworld – Universal Studios Orlando is massive! I kind of felt like a toy, from Toy Story, in the outside world, like I was only a couple of inches high and everything towered above me.

But our main purpose for being at Universal Studios was, of course, to see Harry Potter World.

It is amazing to step into – it is honestly stepping into the mind and magic of J. K. Rowling. It is how you always imagined it – everything is perfect, right down to the cobblestone pavement. We entered at Hogsmeade Station and went up to Hogwarts Castle, and worked our way back.

The castle is part of a simulation ride called “Forbidden Journey” but the line up to get to the ride is all through the castle. There are the greenhouses:

Complete with Mandrakes that squeal and Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Then you work your way into the Entrance Hall, with the hourglasses and past the entrance to Dumbledore’s office. For any Harry Potter Freaks (and I use that term with great affection) who are reading this and realize it isn’t geographically correct – I know. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it so…

I apologize in advance for the quality of photos – the whole castle is pretty dark so the quality of photos vary. You walk through classrooms, and past the portraits on the wall, through the Gryffindor common room, and it’s all amazing.

And I have to say, although you can’t see it in the photos – the portraits on the wall are amazing. They move so realistically, it doesn’t look like it’s just a television screen at all. It’s like you are really in Hogwarts.

Anyway, all of this is leading up to a simulation ride so in the middle of this magic are signs like this:

There are always signs like these before rides, and I am prone to motion sickness – I get seasick easily, I occasionally get car sick, I always get sick if I read and very recently, for the first time I got airsick, but I knew it was simulation and I could close my eyes and I thought I’d be okay. I’m okay with things that are FAST, but not things that spin or sway – hence why I get so easily seasick. I should’ve really looked at the sign more closely:

That’s someone being seasick. I get seasick. But once you’re on the ride, there is no turning back. It only took a few seconds and I knew I had to shut my eyes… not that it helped. You don’t move fast, but you go UPSIDE down. I sat there, eyes squished shut occasionally screaming “I DON’T LIKE IT! I’M GOING TO BE SICK!” and similar phrases. I could only occasionally open my eyes before having to glue them shut again. But what’s really weird, is that I’m about to highly recommend this ride. It was amazing – I could tell, in the few glimpses that this was an INCREDIBLE ride. If you don’t get motion sickness – you should definitely go on it, it would be fantastic. If you do get motion sickness, even if you’re not very bad – do not, I repeat do NOT go on it. Once I stumbled out of the castle, clutching my stomach and unable to walk in a straight line (you’re all wondering what my Blood Alcohol Concentration was), and collapsed outside on the ground, my Mum stayed with me and my Dad went off for a little while.

It took a very long time before I felt better, but my Dad had gone off and bought this:

for me. Yes, it is a Hedwig – and she talks too! I say I got her because I was sicky and sad, and Mum says I got her because I’m spoilt.

Now for those who keep up, this means I now have two soft animals to bring back to Australia with me. That surely has to be enough?

Apparently not so. (Hey I’m so glad I didn’t wear that shirt to Disneyworld – I would look like a Minnie Mouse try-hard who got it wrong). But this crazy looking dog is not mine, Jonathon won it in a game which we played against his friend Kris. Of all places in the world, and of all chances we bumped into one of Jonathon’s friends which was incredible.

But, getting back to Hogwarts, I recovered from the horrific ride (which my brother said is worst in terms of motion sickness so I went on it – score!) we began walking down to Hogsmeade… but not before grabbing a Butterbeer and a Pumpkin Juice. and they were delicious, particularly the Butterbeer.

The Hogsmeade village was amazing, and Ollivanders was incredible, it was identical to the movie, and they had someone up the front, trying the wands just the way Harry did in the book and the movie. Unfortunately, Harry Potter World is ridiculously expensive so I didn’t buy a wand.

The Wizarding World had everything, and I can’t upload photos of it all but I can tell you some of the things they had including Monster Book of Monsters, Rememberall, Sneakoscope, Pygmy Puffs, U-No-Poo, Broomsticks, Robes and so much more. I will upload photos on Facebook, in due time.

When Mum, Dad and I were waiting to get into Ollivanders we were really cool and took photos of our shoes.

My mum and I bought Converse from the outlet store nearby (both children sizes) and Dad is wearing Crocs, would you believe? I wouldn’t think that they’re Crocs, but they are, except they’re canvas. Look at my sparkle shoes though – epic aren’t they? And also, you can see the cobble street pavement, just like England, just like Hogwarts.

We then stopped for lunch at the three broomsticks:

Three Broomsticks They tried serving English meals – pasties and salad? Pasties, true – and the photo is the fork – I bit it off accidentally :)

After lunch, we headed to Honeydukes and Zonkos. Everything is very expensive, for one Chocolate Frog is $11+tax, and not that I wouldn’t have bought it except I unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I don’t like American chocolate and I didn’t want to spend $11+tax on something I wouldn’t like. But Honeydukes has everything imaginable: Fudge Flies, Peppermint Toads, Peppermint Imps, Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Chocolate Wands, Chocolate Cauldrons, Rock Cakes, Sugar Quills, Cauldron Cakes, Acid Pops, Fizzing Whizzbees – just everything imaginable, plus other sweets too. Zonkos is right next door with Fanged Frisbees, U-No-Poo, Edible Dark Marks and Pygmy Puffs, here is an album of photos before (never tried an album, hope it works)…

View Full Album

View Full Album

So there is some more Harry Potter photos – I will upload the rest to Facebook later. In Universal:

There is also other lands, and the only other one I’m interested in is “Dr Seuss Landing”. Dr Seuss Land was amazing, it was like someone was tripping out or high when they created it, I mean it was just like you’d stepped into one of the books (which you gotta admit, is pretty trippy).

“Kids, don’t do drugs – if you want to be tripped out, go to Dr Seuss Landing”

Or is that inappropriate? I don’t know… I think it’s quite a healthy option really, considering.

Here are some photos from Dr Seuss Landing, which will be on Facebook later but if anyone is interested now…

View Full Album

So it has been a big few days, as travelling always is and right now we are sitting in our apartment, and we are Skyping with my grandparents which is lovely but when you’re very tired, trying to teach Grandmama how to use email on her iPad over Skype, it can be tiring. But now that’s all over and I can hear my Grandmamas voice, and she’s telling Mum off for buying 4 Fossil handbags from the outlets and Grandmama says “I’m sure there are places you can go for people with addiction”

Sorry this post is a bit rushed, but I have been sorting through literally…625 photos to find ones for y’all. Did you know that I’m developing American ways of talking and accent? Yeah, because I’m not influential at all.

But I don’t have a lot more to say – Harry Potter World was magical and I recommend it to everyone when you have the time and money (it is expensive). It is very much worth it. During peak times, I imagine it would be plenty busy. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything important to say – I hate when you think of something awesome to say when blogging, but forget to write it. It’s kind of like not thinking of the perfect comeback in an argument until it’s too late, except I think much worse.

I’m not sure where we are going tomorrow, but it will be something Disney related, I’m sure.

And speaking of Disney…

“There’s a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!”